A Time to Heal
by sparkyCSI
Summary: Part of The FBI Files Series--The crime lab helps out an FBI agent hunting a dangerous gang...Please read and review! DannyOC, FlackLindsay later chapters. Edited through Chapter 19!
1. Mala Suerte

**Disclaimer: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :^) I also have this story posted at adultfanfiction(dot)net if you are interested in seeing the adult versions of some of the chapters. It's under the same penname._

Chapter 1.

**Mala Suerte**

Special Agent Corrine Reid hugged her coat around her more tightly. After three months in New York, she still was not used to the weather.

_I'm from Texas. Stuck here in a New York winter? Why am I doing this to myself,_ she thought to herself. She had found the transition to be a little confusing. She shook herself back to reality. She realized that the reason she was here was to somehow get enough evidence together to capture Carlos Ortiz, leader of the Mala Suerte gang.

Cautiously, she walked down the street, never noticing the two men following her. She vaguely noticed a woman walking towards her, dressed in a similar coat as hers. She was lost in thought when the young woman brushed past her.

She was shocked when she heard the distinctive sound of gunfire. As a trained FBI agent her instincts took over. In a heartbeat she had her service pistol out, scanning the crowd for the shooter. Seeing none, she again scanned the crowd, looking for victims. She saw the woman who had just passed her, lying on the ground, covered in blood.

Running up to the crowd surrounding the woman she identified herself as an FBI agent and said, "Ma'am. Ma'am? Are you ok? It's going to be ok." She took out her phone and called 911. She gave the operator her location and looked back at the woman, whose life was draining away quickly.

Turning around she said to a bystander, "Quick, give me your shirt."

The bystander complied and she quickly turned it into a pad and applied pressure to the wound, hoping to slow the bleeding long enough to give the woman a fighting chance. "Ma'am, can you talk?"

The woman responded weakly, "Yes."

"I'm Cory. What's your name?"

"Valerie. Oh, God, it hurts," she muttered.

"I know. The paramedics will be here soon. Just hang on, you have to fight." Cory tried to will some strength into the woman, praying that she would live.

She heard sirens pull up and saw several NYPD squad cars and an ambulance arriving at the scene. She quickly relinquished her place at the woman's side, letting the paramedics do their job.

She was still standing there, watching the paramedics work when she noticed a good-looking guy in a suit walking onto the screen. _Wow. The cops here are fine,_ she thought as the dark-haired cop with blue eyes walked toward her.

"Excuse me, Miss. I'm Detective Don Flack, NYPD."

"Special Agent Corrine Reid, FBI."

Immediately Flack recognized from her accent that she wasn't from New York. "Can you tell me what happened?" the detective asked.

"I was walking northbound on the street, headed for the subway, when all of the sudden 2 shots rang out. It sounded like a .22 revolver. I drew my weapon, scanned for the gunman, but didn't see them. On my second scan, I saw the woman down, shot once in the chest. She had just passed me, going southbound."

Impressed, Flack asked, "Sounded like a .22 revolver?"

Cory replied with a smirk, "Yeah. But I guess you'll find out if I'm right or not when you get the bullet from the hospital."

Cory was distracted by another vehicle pulling up. She watched as two people got out; a man with an almost military haircut and a statuesque woman with long curly hair. As they turned she realized that they were crime scene investigators.

Turning back to Flack she asked, "Do you have anymore questions?" At his nod no, she continued, "Here's my card if anything comes up. I need to get home and change and call my supervisor to let him know why I'm late."

"Thanks, Agent Reid," he replied as she turned to walk away.

Flack was still watching her walk away when Mac and Stella walked up to him.

Mac was the first to speak. "Who's that?"

Startled, Flack looked at Mac and then down at the card in his hand. "Special Agent Corrine Reid, FBI. She's a witness. Helped try to save the victims life. You know cops are always the best witnesses."

Stella spoke up, "What do we got, Flack?"

Flack looked at his notes. "Victim was walking southbound, had just passed Agent Reid when 2 shots rang out. Agent Reid drew her weapon and looked for the shooter, but didn't see anyone. Saw the victim down, called 911. Said that the weapon sounded like a .22 revolver."

Mac looked around. "That explains the lack of shell casings. Chances are the shooter dumped the weapon close by."

Stella replied, "I'll go search for it." She turned and looked at some uniformed cops, "You, you and you," she said pointing to 3 officers, "You're with me. We are going to look for the weapon."

The officers followed her and began the search. Two blocks away, Stella found what she was looking for. Gingerly, she picked up the .22 Smith & Wesson revolver. She bagged the evidence and walked back to the crime scene.

She called out to Mac once in hearing range. "Hey, Mac! Found a weapon, .22 revolver a couple of blocks from here."

"That's good, Stella. Take the evidence back to the lab and have Danny help you process it. I'm going to the hospital with Flack to interview the victim."

"Got it." Stella grabbed the rest of the evidence and walked back to the vehicle.

----------------------------------

Cory had just walked into her apartment when her cell phone rang. Looking at the number on caller ID, she sighed. "Hey, Travis. I'm going to be late today."

"_Why?"_ her boss queried.

"I was kinda involved in a crime scene on my way to work."

"_What!"_

"A woman was shot on the street behind me. I had to call the cops and an ambulance. I just got home to change into some clothes that are not bloodstained. I'll be in the office in an hour or so."

"_OK. I'll see you when you get here."_

Cory sighed again as she hung up the phone. _God, I hate blood._

She stripped off her clothes as she went into the bathroom to take a shower. After turning on the water, she looked at herself in the mirror. There was a blood streak along her cheek and her hands still had some blood on them. Although she had been an agent for 8 years, blood still bothered her. _That's why I like being a forensic accountant. The lack of blood._

She pulled the pins out of her hair and let the red-brown curls flow down her back and took off her angular glasses. She got into the shower and let the hot water cascade over her, hoping to somehow get the memory of blood out of her brain.

After she got out of the shower, she put her hair back up into a bun, got dressed and left for work.

(Crime Lab)

Stella was working in one of the labs when Danny Messer walked in. She looked up at the younger, sandy-haired CSI and smiled.

"Whadda we got?" he asked in a thick New York accent.

"The victim is 24 year old Valerie Miller. At first glance, she looks like she is on the up and up. Graduated college 2 years ago, got a job at a law firm and is pursuing her law degree. Lives in Manhattan. Nothing in the background check showed any reason why someone would shoot her."

Danny picked up the gun. "This the weapon?"

"Maybe. Eye witness said that the gun sounded like a .22 revolver. I found it 2 blocks from the crime scene." Stella looked at Danny's raised eyebrows and answered his next question before he asked it. "Eye witness is an FBI agent."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Won't know if the gun is the weapon until Mac gets back from the hospital with the bullet. Go ahead and dust it for prints, although considering how cold it is, I bet there are no prints. Everyone that's sane is wearing gloves."

Danny picked up the revolver and began to dust it for prints. Finding none, like Stella had predicted, he decided to test fire it and see if it had been used in other crimes.

He had just started to run the bullet through IBIS when Mac walked into the office.

"Hey, Mac…Did you get the bullet?" asked Danny.

"Yeah. The victim didn't make it and this is officially a homicide investigation." Mac handed the bullet over to Danny.

Hearing the computer beep, Danny looked over at the screen. "Looks like this gun has been used in a previous murder."

"Any suspects in that case?" asked Stella.

"Yeah. A Javier Mata, a known member of Mala Suerte. Looks like he's a pretty hard core gang banger. Got a rap sheet longer than my arm."

"What was his last known address?" asked Mac.

Danny clicked through to another screen. "He's dead. Was killed while in Sing-Sing. The gun was never found in that case, but he was arrested for another murder and got life."

Danny got up and walked to the microscope. He compared the test fire bullet from the bullet pulled from the dead woman. "The bullets match. This is definitely the gun that killed our vic."

Right then Flack walked into the lab. "Whadda we know?"

Danny was the one that answered him. "The gun that Stella found is the one that killed our vic. It is also connected to another homicide, where the main suspect, Javier Mata, died in prison about a year ago. That suspect was a known member of the Mala Suerte gang."

"Mala Suerte? Aren't they the new gang that is trying to become like the Mafia?"

"That's the one. Anyway, I figure that the gun stayed with the gang when Mata was sent to Sing-Sing. You got any info on Mala Suerte?"

Flack replied, "Not much. I just know that they are on the FBI's list of dangerous organizations. Maybe we can get some more info from them considering one of their agents was at the scene."

"Good idea," said Mac. "Danny, go with Flack to the FBI and see if you can round up someone that knows something."

With that both Danny and Flack left the room.

----------------------------------

Cory was working on her report when Travis popped his head into her office. "How are you doing?"

Cory replied, "I'm fine. Not everyday you have to duck for cover while going to work, though."

"I bet there's more of that here than in Dallas, right?"

Cory smiled. "Little bit. Ducking for cover in Dallas consists of trying to hide from a jealous ex-boyfriend most of the time."

Travis laughed at her comment and returned to his office.

He was sitting in his office when his assistant showed the two NYPD detectives in.

"I'm Detective Flack; this is Detective Messer from the NYPD."

"Special Agent Travis Miller. You already know I'm with the FBI. How can I help you?"

"We are investigating the murder of a woman. The gun that was used can be traced back the Mala Suerte. We were told you were the person to see to get information on the gang," Flack said.

Travis looked up. "I may be a good source of information, but you really want to speak to the Special Agent in charge of the investigation into the gang's activities. I can take you to her.

With that, Travis got up and motioned for the two men to follow him. He knocked lightly on a partially opened door and said, "Cory. I have two detectives from NYPD here that want some info on Mala Suerte."

The two men followed him into the office. "Detectives, this is Special Agent Corrine Reid. She is in charge of the investigation."

"Cory, this is Detective Messer and Detective…"

Cory cut him off. "Flack, NYPD. We've met. What can I do to help you detectives?"

Flack looked up in surprise. "Agent Reid, how nice to see you again." He noticed that she had changed clothes. "We need some information on Mala Suerte. The gun used to shoot that woman this morning was traced back to them. By the way it was a .22 Smith & Wesson revolver."

Cory got serious. "How is Valerie doing?"

Flack also got serious. "I'm sorry to say that she did not make it." He watched as she took the news.

Cory shut her eyes and rubbed them for a second underneath her glasses. "Damn. I was hoping…"

"Agent Reid, you did everything you could."

"I know. I just hate senseless death." Cory sighed. _This day is getting worse,_ she thought. "How did you trace the gun?"

Danny was the one that spoke up this time. "Turns out that the gun was used in a previous murder. The suspect in that murder was Javier Mata."

Cory looked confused. "But he died over a year ago in prison?"

"We know," replied Danny. "Close as we can figure, Mala Suerte kept the gun."

"Look detectives, I can get you all the information that you need on Mala Suerte, but it's going to take a couple of hours. How 'bout, I bring the info down to the station when I get it collected?"

Danny looked at Flack. "Sounds good to me, but bring it to the crime lab. Thanks for your time."

With that, both men walked out of the office.

Travis turned to Cory and said, "You know what this means, don't you? That woman was not the target. You were."

Cory responded. "I know. Mala Suerte wants me dead."

"I'm going to assign a bodyguard to you."

"Travis, you don't have to do that. That will result in more people getting killed. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

"No arguments."

"Fine, I'll use the bodyguard. Now leave me alone while I gather the information I need to take to the detectives."

----------------------------------

Once outside Danny looked at Flack. "So that's your eyewitness, huh? She's kinda cute for a Southern girl."

"What are you talkin' about Messer?"

"Come on, you were flirting with her!"

"No, I wasn't."

"Whatever. Just ask her out if you want to." Danny ducked as Flack tried to slap him upside his head.

Laughing, the two men got into the SUV and left to go back to the crime lab.

_Edited 8/29/08_


	2. On the Trail

**Disclaimer: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N**: _The song is "__Shivna__" from Riverdance. Also…Wow. 131 hits! But only 2 reviews! I'm glad people are reading this. I'm updating a little sooner than I had planned because my week is going to get crazy for the next couple of days, but I should have chapter 3 up no later than Saturday._

Chapter 2.

**On the trail**

Cory finished compiling all of her data on Mala Suerte and condensed it to burn onto one CD. While the files were burning she went to Travis' office.

"Hey, Travis. I'm going over to the crime lab now. If you need me, just call my cell."

Travis looked up. "No problem. Maybe you can get some good information and we can tie this all to Carlos Ortiz and take him out."

"Not likely. He's too smart for that. Is there anything that you think is too sensitive to disclose to the detectives?"

Travis shook his head no. "Just be careful. Call me when you are ready to leave and I'll have Agent Frazier come and make sure you get home alright."

Cory rolled her eyes. She had hoped that Travis had forgotten all about the bodyguard thing. "Really, Travis. I don't need a bodyguard. Ortiz really doesn't want me dead. I thought about it and I think that this was just to try to scare me."

Travis looked at her sternly. "I don't care. You are going to have a bodyguard. End of discussion."

"Yes, boss."

Cory went back to her office, picked up her things and the newly burned CD and left to go to the NYPD crime lab.

--

When Cory entered the crime lab, she approached the receptionist. "Hi. I'm Special Agent Corrine Reid. I'm here to see Detective Flack or Detective Messer."

"Yes ma'am. They left word that you were to be allowed in. Here's your visitors badge. They are on the 38th floor."

"Thank you." Cory turned and got into the elevator. When she got to the prescribed floor, Detective Messer was waiting for her.

"Follow me."

Silently, Cory followed the good-looking, sandy-haired detective. She decided that he was little abrupt for her taste. _Man, can't he even say thanks for coming?_ She continued to follow him into a small lab that had computer equipment in it.

Danny looked back to see that Cory was following him without question. _I wonder what Flack sees in her? She cute, but different from the women that he normally dates. Maybe it's because she knew what kind of gun was used just by sound? That is a little unusual. Or maybe it's just that sexy drawl she has._

Danny motioned her into the computer lab. "Here's where you can set up. I'm assuming that since you are not carrying a file that you brought everything on disk, right?"

Cory glanced at the detective with surprise in her eyes. "Yeah. How'd ya know?"

Danny smiled. "I am a CSI."

Cory laughed. "Sorry, it's been one hell of a day and I'm kinda running on fumes right now. I should have thought about that."

Danny was startled by her laugh. _Wow. That's a great laugh._ He turned back to her. "So you ain't from around here are ya?

Cory smiled this time. "How'd ya guess? More CSI work?"

"Nay, not everyday you talk to a Feebie with a Southern accent in New York City."

"I'm from Dallas. I moved up here temporarily to try to bring down Mala Suerte. Detective Flack, are you ready for all the information I have?"

Danny looked over his shoulder at her comment. "Glad you could join us Flack. Mac and Stella should be here shortly."

Just as he said that, Cory noticed the two CSI's she had seen that morning walking towards the room.

As they walked in, Flack introduced everyone. "Mac, Stella, this is Special Agent Corrine Reid from the FBI. Agent Reid, this is Detectives Mac Taylor and Stella Bonasera."

She shook both of their hands and said to the group, "Nice to meet you. You know, y'all can call me Cory."

Flack looked up. "Ok, Cory. I'm Flack, Messer is Danny, Detective Taylor is Mac and Stella is well Stella."

Mac spoke up. "What kind of information do you have for us?"

Cory looked around the room. "I don't know what you know about Mala Suerte, so I brought all of the history and a list of known gang members.

"The gang started in the streets of LA. It was your typical Hispanic gang. Heavy into drug trafficking. From there, they moved east; making a stop in Dallas. The gang grew in numbers until one leader was identified."

Cory pulled up a picture on the monitors. "This is Carlos Ortiz. He's the accepted leader of all of Mala Suerte. He started in the gang in high school in Dallas. He worked his way up the ranks until he led the Dallas division of the gang. Five years ago, he moved to New York. Four years ago, after the death of all the top members of the gang, he took over as leader." She sighed.

"This was not a good thing. He is a vicious killer. It is suspected that he put out hits on the leaders of the gang in order to take over. Since he assumed the leadership role, the gang's criminal activities have grown in diversity. Now instead of just being in the drug trafficking trade, they are also suspected to be in the arms trade and human slave trade."

Danny interrupted, "Human slaves?"

Cory answered him grimly. "That is just a suspicion right now. I do know one thing for sure. He is completely ruthless. He has no qualms about killing his subordinates. For that reason, we have found it impossible to flip any of the members. He rules by terror."

"Do you have an undercover agent working on the inside?" This question came from Mac.

Cory shook her head no. "We've not been able to infiltrate the gang at all. The two agents that tried wound up dead less than 24 hours after going in. Needless to say, we are not risking anymore agents."

"Why do you think they killed the vic this morning?" Stella asked.

Cory sighed. "I have two theories. One: they were trying to kill me and missed, which I think is unlikely. Or two: they wanted to scare me. I am the lead investigator on this case and also the one who is most likely to bring their demise."

Flack asked, "Why?"

"I'm a forensic accountant. I have been tracing the money trail pretty heavily for the last 5 years. I almost have enough evidence to prove money laundering, but I keep getting stonewalled. It's entirely possible that they have mole inside the FBI."

At everyone's startled glances, Cory continued. "Look. You guys know that the Italian Mafia has cops on their payroll. Mala Suerte is trying to become the new Mafia. Oh, and another thing…There is only one way out of the gang, once you're in. Death. We had a member a couple of years ago that was going to flip. Ortiz ordered a hit on him and his entire family. The family was killed within a day and the gang member a couple of hours after that."

All of the detectives looked shocked at that. Cory responded to their looks of shock. "I told you Ortiz was vicious."

Cory went back to the computer. She pulled up another file. "Here is the most current list we have of known gang members. I took the time to highlight the ones that could have committed the murder this morning. I hope that helps."

Mac responded, "That will be a great help. Danny did you get anything from the gun?"

"There were no fingerprints on the gun…"

Cory cut him off. "What about on the shell casings?"

"I was just about to test them for prints when you showed up. I'll go do that now." With that, Danny left the room.

Cory looked up. "If you don't have any other questions to ask me…" At the negative shake of Mac's head she continued, "I'm going to go home and try to get some sleep." She pulled out her phone and called Travis to let him know she was ready to go home.

"My bodyguard will be here in a couple of minutes. You got a restroom I can use?"

"Follow me," said Stella.

Cory followed Stella down the hall and into the restroom. "Wow. Pretty nice for a bathroom."

Stella smiled. "It's not much, but it's good. Do you like working for the FBI?"

Cory walked out of the stall. "It's great. I love my job. I get to catch the 'bad men'. It's the most rewarding career I could have chosen."

Stella watched as the younger woman splashed water on her face. "How long have you been in New York?"

"About 3 months. I moved up here right after Thanksgiving. I'll have to admit, I was intimidated at first. It's just so much larger than Dallas."

Stella laughed. "That it is. What do you miss?"

"The Mexican food. Hands down. That is one of the best things about living in Texas; there is great Tex-Mex. I also miss my family and oddly enough the weather? I probably won't miss that come summer if I'm still here though!"

Cory's cell phone rang at that time. "Reid. Ok. I'll be right down." She turned to Stella, "Well, my bodyguard is here, so I'm going home. I gave Flack my card so if anything comes up with the case, feel free to call me."

"Bye." The two women parted company at the elevator.

--

Mac walked into the ballistics lab. "Got anything, Danny?"

"I was able to pull a partial print off one of the bullet casings. Ran it through AFIS and it comes back to Guillermo Garcia. He is on the list that the Feebie gave us. Been with the gang for a year; this will be the first suspected murder connected to him."

Mac called Flack. "Flack. We have a suspect. His name is Guillermo Garcia."

"_OK, Mac. I'll go pick him up."_

--

The suspect was sitting in the cold chair when Flack and Danny walked in.

"So Guillermo. Know why you're here?" Flack asked.

"Man, I don't know. You just getting your kicks?"

Flack looked at the kid. "Nope. You're here because your fingerprints were found on a gun used to kill a woman this morning. Where were you from 7 to 8 am?"

"Chillin' with _mis amigos_…homey."

Danny spoke up. "Why don't I believe that?" With that he spread out two photos on the table; one of the victim and one of Cory. "Do you know either of these women?"

Garcia did not even look at the pictures. "Nope."

Flack grabbed his head and made him look at the pictures. "Look again."

Garcia pointed at the picture of Cory. "That's the bitch that's trying to lock up Carlos. I don't know the other one."

Danny was fast losing patience. "Ya sure? Because to me she sure looks like the woman you killed this morning while trying to kill Agent Reid."

"I never tried to kill that bitch. I was just there to scare her." Both Danny and Flack smiled at his lapse. Garcia looked up and realized that he had messed up. Like all the other members of Mala Suerte before him, he decided to confess and not to say anything about the gang.

"Ya wanna talk now?" Danny asked.

"Fine. I thought I would try to scare the bitch into backing off. I followed her and once that woman had walked past her, I shot that woman. I never realized that the bitch was packing heat. I ran. Threw the gun into an alleyway."

"Were you ordered to kill that woman by Carlos Ortiz?" Flack asked.

"No man, I did everything on my own. Ortiz had nothing to do with it."

Flack and Danny continued to interrogate Garcia for hours, trying to get him to break down and give them something to go after Ortiz with, but he refused to flip on Ortiz.

After the interrogation was complete, they sent him down to central booking. Flack also made sure to put a call into the FBI to let them know that Cory was not in danger.

--

The first thing that Cory did when she got home was take a hot bath to try to relax. _Oh, God. This has been a horrible day. Why did that woman have to die…Why does Ortiz do this to me?_ When she got out of the bath, she decided to try to relax some more. She went to her CD player in the living room and put on the _Riverdance_ soundtrack, knowing that would help to relax her.

She went into her kitchen and fixed herself a chicken salad. Sitting at the bar in her kitchen, she quickly ate. As she was washing up after dinner, her one of her Favorite songs from _Riverdance_ came on.

"A BhennÃ¡in, a bhÃºireadÃ¡in, a bhÃ©icedÃ¡in bhinn  
Is binn linn in cÃºicherÃ¡n do nÃ­ tÃ­ 'sin ghlinn  
A BhennÃ¡in, a bhÃºireadÃ¡in, a bhÃ©icedÃ¡in bhinn  
Is binn linn in cÃºicherÃ¡n do nÃ­ tÃ­ 'sin ghlinn

A dhraignÃ©in, a dhelgnachÃ¡in,  
(dil, dol, doh, roh day)  
A mhinÃ©in na chonaire  
(dil, dol, doh, ray)  
A dhrisÃ©oc, a dhruimnechÃ³c  
(dil, dol, doh, roh day)  
A chaillech, a chuirrechennach in raga for ech?

A BhennÃ¡in, a bhÃºireadÃ¡in, a bhÃ©icedÃ¡in bhinn  
Is binn linn in cÃºicherÃ¡n do nÃ­ tÃ­ 'sin ghlinn

Is mÃ© Suibhne sirthechÃ¡n; lÃºath reithim thar gleann;  
Nochan Ã© m'ainm dligthechÃ¡n; mÃ³ is ainm dam  
Fer Benn"

Cory sang along even though she did not know the words. After she was done with the dishes, she went into her living room and got a book from the shelf. She decided to read for a little bit to further unwind.

When the CD ended, she decided to go to bed. She crawled under the covers and minutes after her head hit the pillow she was deeply asleep.

When her cell phone rang a couple of hours later, Cory wasn't sure what it was. It rang 3 times before she realized it was her cell phone and answered it. "H'Lo?"

"Cory?"

"Who's this?"

"It's Flack and Danny."

Cory blinked. "Oh. What's going on?"

Danny was the one to answer her. "We caught the guy who killed that woman this morning. It was Guillermo Garcia. He confessed that he killed her to scare you."

Cory chuckled. "If that was the plan, then he failed miserably. All he succeeded in doing was to piss me off."

Danny and Flack laughed in return. Flack said, "We wanted to let you know that we informed Agent Miller so that he can pull the bodyguard that you love so much away from you."

"Thanks, Flack." Cory's tone became serious. "Do you know when Valerie's funeral is? I want to go and pay my respects."

Flack understood. "I don't know, but I'll find out for you."

"Thanks, Flack. I'm going back to sleep now. Just call me when you have the details. Night."

Both men replied, "Good-night."

--

After they got off the phone, Danny looked at Flack. "You like her."

"No, I don't. But I do understand her. She feels that woman's death was her fault and she is trying to make amends."

"It's more than that, Flack. She's not you normal type."

"What is my normal type?" Flack shot back peevishly.

"Model gorgeous, no brains. She has the brains but not the typical model looks."

"Whatever, Danny. Besides, I already have someone that I'm lookin' to date."

Danny tried to get Flack to tell him who he was interested in, but to no avail. Finally, he gave up and they both went home.

* * *

_chili-peppers-you're my first review! thanks. glad you like it. _

_Pnkrckprncss-thanks! glad you like is so far…i plan on updating every 2-3 days as my work schedule allows._


	3. Paying Respects

**Disclaimer: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N** _This is kinda of an emotional chapter (those are the ones I like to write most so…) Enjoy!! _

Chapter 3.

**Paying Respects**

Two days after Garcia confessed to the murder of Valerie Miller, Flack found out the details of her funeral from her family. Murmuring his thanks as he walked away, he searched for the card that had Cory's name on it. Finding it, he decided to call her and let her know the detail.

He admired her in a way. It took guts going to anyone's funeral; much less the one of a person that was killed because of you.

"_Reid."_

"Hey, Cory. It's Flack. Are you busy right now?"

"_Just working on the Ortiz case. What's up?"_

"I thought that I would call and let you know that I got the details for Valerie Miller's funeral."

"_Thanks. When is it?"_

"Friday, 3pm. Do you want me to take you?"

"_Are you asking me out, Flack? Cause if you are that is a weird place for a first date!" _Cory giggled.

"This ain't a date, Cory. I just thought that you might want someone there with you."

"_I know, Flack. I was just kidding."_

"Oh. Sorry."

"_That's fine. Pick me up at the office at 2. See you then."_

As soon as Flack had hung up the phone, it rang again.

"Flack. Be right there." Flack sighed as he got back to work.

--

Cory sighed as she hung up with Flack. She looked up when she heard a knock on her door.

"Travis. What can I do to help you?"

Travis smiled at his hardest working agent. "I have some new files for you to go over on the Ortiz case."

Excitement lit up her eyes. "Really. New data! Why do I feel like its Christmas?"

"You just want to catch the guy. I can't blame you for that."

Travis handed her the disk that contained the new information. "Thanks. I'll add this on and study it."

Cory worked at her desk for several more hours. Finally at 7pm she decided to go home. She saved all the new info on her hard drive at work and also on her laptop to take home.

--

Once home, Cory decided to work out a little. She changed into comfortable clothes and put in her dance CD. As _The Prodigy_ started playing she slowing began dancing. About 30 minutes later she heard her cell phone go off. Pausing the CD she answered. "Reid."

"Cory, it's Flack. We have a case that we think might be connected to Mala Suerte. Can you meet us at the crime lab?"

"Sure, just give me about 30 minutes. I have to get ready."

(Crime Lab)

Cory walked into the lab, her hair still wet from the quick shower she had taken. She had simply pulled it back into a French braid, to make it easier to manage. She was still dressed in a suit, but without heals on.

As she walked into the lab she said, "Hey y'all. What's going on?"

Mac, Stella, Flack and a woman with wavy brown hair that Cory did not know looked up.

Stella was the one that answered. "Do you remember the list of activities that the Mala Suerte is involved in?" At Cory's affirmative nod she continued. "We think that we might have found some human slaves. They are all Hispanic."

"Yeah, Feebie…We were hoping you could talk to them since they don't speak any English," Danny said.

Cory looked at him in shock at the assumption. _"__Je ne parle pas espagnol, je parle français.__"_

Mac looked at her in surprise. _"__Vous parlez français?__"_

Cory smiled _"Oui. __Je l'ai étudié à l'école."_

The rest of the team looked at the two of them in confusion. The unknown woman spoke first. "Excuse me, what are you two saying?"

Mac apologized. "I'm sorry Lindsay. Cory was just saying that she doesn't speak Spanish. She studied French in school."

"Feebie…You live in Texas and you took French in school?" Danny raised his eyebrows.

Cory replied a little peeviously. "Yeah. So?"

"It just doesn't make sense. Are there people in Texas that speak French?"

Cory rolled her eyes. "Of course there are. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone in Texas speaks Spanish. I was going to become an international accountant; French is the second most spoken language in business behind English. Can we get back to the case?"

Danny had the grace to look embarrassed. "Sure."

Stella picked up with the case. "The reason we called you was because the warehouse where the women were found was on the list of properties that have ties to Mala Suerte that you left us."

Cory was all business as she replied, "Which warehouse?"

"The one down by the docks."

"Damn. I wish I had been there. What kind of evidence did you log?"

Lindsay is the one that responded. "We picked up multiple hair samples, fingerprints and bodily fluids at the scene. It looked like there had been an orgy there."

"Montana," Lindsay winced a little at the nickname that Danny called her, "How d'ya know what the aftermath orgy looks like?"

"Who said I knew?" Lindsay shot back.

"You were just talking like ya knew."

Cory interrupted at this point. "Messer. Didn't you just learn not to assume?"

Lindsay laughed at the sally. "I like you. We are going to have to have drinks sometime."

Cory smiled. "That sounds good."

Danny continued describing the evidence that was found at the scene. "I'm gonna run the prints through AFIS, see if we get any hits." He looked at Cory. "You got any FBI tricks up your sleeves?"

"You have as much access to that database as I do, Messer. Let me know what you find."

With that Danny left the room.

Cory turned to Lindsay. "Why does he call you Montana?"

"That's where I'm from. I've only been here for about 3 months. I think he does it to rub it in that I'm not a native New Yorker. It's really annoying. From your accent I can tell that you aren't form here either."

Cory smiled. "I'm from Dallas. I've only been here for about 3 months, too. What do you miss?"

"The wide open spaces, my family and my horse. I miss going riding everyday. It was so much a part of my life."

"I understand. I have two horses back in Dallas. Sampson and Delilah. They are both quarter horses. I ride every time I get a chance. Well, I better go see how Danny is doing with the prints. See ya later, Lindsay."

Cory left Lindsay alone to start processing the biological evidence.

--

Danny walked into the print lab in a daze. _That woman is full of surprises. She speaks French? That was just so…sexy._ Danny shook himself out of the daze as he began scanning the prints he had pulled from the scene into the scanner. He began running all of the prints through AFIS, hoping to get some matches.

The computer beeped as Cory walked in. "I guess I'm right on time. Who'd the print match?"

Danny looked at screen and replied, "Diego Gracia. You know him?"

"He's a mid-level member of the gang. Has ties to the top, but not one of the top members. Rumor has it that Carlos Ortega is the one that brought him into the gang."

"Where was the print found?" Cory yawned.

"It was found in the front of the building, not where the girls were found. Tired, Feebie?"

"A little. It's what? 2 am? I've been up since 4 am yesterday. I have to be back at work in 6 hours. Can you handle it from here? I really need to go get some shut eye."

"I'm on my way out anyway. I've been on since noon. I'll walk ya home."

"I'm a big girl, Messer. I can take myself home."

"I insist."

"Whatever." Cory yawned again as she decided that she was too tired to argue anymore.

As they walked out of the lab, Danny called goodnight to Mac and Stella. They walked out silently. They did not talk on the way to her house. Once at her building, Cory stopped and said, "This is my stop. Thanks for walking me home."

Danny put his hands in his pockets and said, "No prob, Feebie. See ya later."

Cory walked up to her apartment and went to bed.

--

When Cory got up on Friday, she knew that she had something going on, but couldn't remember what. After racking her brain for a few moments, she finally remembered what it was. _God. It's Friday. Valerie's funeral is today._ With that thought, she put more effort into getting dressed. She put on a new black suit. It had an A-line skirt that fell to just above her knees. She had a black silk shirt to go under the fitted jacket. Looking at her jewelry, she decided to wear her necklace that had the scales of justice on it. She pulled her hair up into a chignon, finished her make-up and left.

--

A little after one p.m., Cory was staring at the data in front of her. _This doesn't make sense. There are parts of this data missing. It's almost like Mala Suerte knew that we were going to get these records and deleted part of the data._ With that thought, Cory decided to call Agent Liz Jeffries on the investigation team that acquired the data.

"Liz. Hi, it's Cory. Can you come up to my office? I have some questions about the data you got for me. OK. See you in about 10 minutes."

When Liz walked into the office, Cory was still staring at the data. "Look at this," she said. "There is data missing in these files. Where they like this when you got them?"

Liz leaned over her shoulder and replied, "Yes. I noticed that, too. I thought it was strange."

Cory leaned back. "It's almost like they knew that we were going to be raiding this business and left us enough info to semi-point to what was going on, but not enough to actually nail them for something."

Both women looked up at the knock at the door. Flack stood there in a black morning suit. "Are you ready to go?"

"Is it two already?"

"Yeah. We need to go if we are going to make it to the church on time."

Cory turned to Liz and said, "Sorry. I have a funeral to go to. Can we pick this up on Monday?"

"Sure." She leaned over to Cory and whispered into her ear, "Girl, he is gorgeous! Are you guys dating?"

Cory started laughing. "No. We just worked on a case together. Liz, this is Detective Don Flack, NYPD. Flack, this is Agent Liz Jeffries." Cory turned to Liz. "I'll see you on Monday."

--

As Flack and Cory were walking into the Trinity Church, he turned and asked her, "Why did you want to come to the funeral?"

"I feel responsible for her death. She was killed because of me, so I just want to pay my respects." Cory sounded grim.

Flack thought that there was more to it, but decided not to press the issue. They picked up bulletins and signed the guest book and then were seated. They chose to sit at the back of the church, just in case either of their cell phones when off during the service.

Cory sat there. Lost in her own thoughts, listening to the eulogies from the people who knew Valerie the best. She was trying her best not to let the overflow of remorse that she was feeling show.

The minister took the podium after the last speaker. He said a few last words of respect and then announced that the victim's sister was going to sing "Amazing Grace."

Cory almost gasped in her surprise, both at the song and at the strong resemblance between the two women.

Valerie's sister began to sing.

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see."

As the woman began the second verse, Cory couldn't take the emotion anymore and got up and quickly walked out of the church. She choked back tears as she hurriedly made her way to the restroom.

Flack got up to follow her, concerned and when he got into the lobby he noticed her going into the restroom.

In the restroom, Cory sat in a chair that was provided and let the tears she had been holding back flow. _Oh, damn. I didn't mean to cry, but that just brought back memories. James, wherever you are, I'm sorry. I let Ortiz hurt another person because of me. I swore on your grave that no one would ever have to lose a loved one because of me again! What am I going to do?_

Cory tried to compose herself, but it took five minutes before she could stop the flow of tears. After splashing cool water on her face, to reduce the puffiness, she tried to repair her make-up. With that done, she walked back into the church lobby, surprised to see Flack waiting for her.

"Cory? You okay?"

"I'm fine. And, no, I don't want to talk about it" she answered the unasked question in his eyes. "Is the service over?"

"Yeah."

"Good. I'm going home to get drunk now."

"Are you…" Flack trailed off as he saw the fire in her eyes. "I've got a better idea. I'm meeting the guys at Ray's for drinks. How 'bout you join us?"

"Who's us?"

"Messer, Lindsay, Hawkes, Mac and Stella."

"It does sound better than getting drunk alone."

"Let's go." Both turned and started walking to Flacks car.

* * *

_Ccabello- Thanks!_

_Tylerhiltongroupie53- I'm glad you like Cory…she's so developed b/c she's been kicking around in my head for like 6 months!_

_Chili-peppers-the wait is over…_

_AshCarroll-I'm glad you like the case…if it's not apparent so far, there is the one major case and then the smaller cases that kinda give you the details._

_Screaming-poetically-it's not bad to resent her but trust me…her and Flack are not getting together…maybe in an alternate life…Flack/Lindsay will happen…but not in this chappie…winces…hoping not to get hit_

_Pnkrckprncss-I'm trying to update enough that I still have a couple of chappies completed-waiting on my awesome beta to review…that's why every couple of days…btw: I love you name! everytime I see it I see I start to sing "Punk Rock 101" by Bowling for Soup.._

_Texas71-thanks for reviewing! I love reviews! Don't worry, I'm trying hard to balance the action and romance._


	4. Ray's

**Disclaimer: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N: **_The song is "My Immortal" by Evanescence._

Chapter 4.

**Ray's**

Cory and Flack were silent in the car on the way to Ray's. Flack kept looking at her, concerned about her apparent unease. She was lost in thought, thinking about James.

"Cory? We're here."

Silently, they got out of the car. Flack held the door to the bar open for her then followed her in. On auto pilot, she scanned the room, noticing that the bar offered Karaoke. She jumped a little when Flack touched her arm. "The gang's over there." Flack pointed to a group of people in a quiet and out of the way corner of the bar. Flack led the way to the group of tables.

"Hey Flack. Hey Cory," Danny and Lindsay said in unison.

Flack responded enthusiastically, but Cory was more subdued.

Cory looked at the tall, good-looking black man sitting at the table with the rest of the gang. Flack introduced him as Dr. Sheldon Hawkes. "Recently converted from medical examiner to CSI."

Lindsay looked at Cory. "Are you alright?"

Cory smiled at her. "I'm fine. I just hate funerals. I need a drink."

Danny signaled for the waitress to come over. The waitress looked at Flack and asked, "The usual?" He nodded in return. She looked at Cory. "Haven't seen you here before. What can I getcha, hon?"

Cory smiled, she knew she was about to shock at least one person. "Whiskey Sour, please."

"You drink whiskey, Feebie?" Danny looked at her in shock.

"I'm from Texas, Messer. I know I can hold my liquor better than you can." Without even stopping to think, Cory issued the challenge.

"You think you can drink me under the table, Feebie?"

Cory shot back, "Not think. Know." Cory looked at the others around the table. "Wanna make this a bet?"

Danny, trying to look nonchalant, replied, "100 bucks."

Cory smiled. "Fine. Anyone else want in on this action?"

Lindsay and Stella looked at each other. At Lindsay's nod, Stella replied, "We gotta 100 bucks that say that you take him down, Cory."

Flack and Hawkes quickly threw their support behind Danny. Mac just looked at everyone and said, "I'm not taking that bet."

Cory pulled out a 100 bill and put it on the table. "Ante up. Mac, you're in charge of the money. How many drinks have you had so far Messer?"

Mac was the one that answered. "He's had two beers."

"Then I've got some catchin' up to do."

--

A few hours later, Lindsay watched as Cory started on her fourth whisky sour. She was amazed. Cory was still acting like she was sober. Danny, on the other had, was clearly a little tipsy. She figured that both had consumed about the same amount of alcohol.

Danny was feeling a little light-headed but he was determined not to lose. "Hey…Feebie. Truth or dare?"

Cory looked at him in amazement. "Excuse me?"

"Ya heard me. Truth or Dare?"

Cory rolled her eyes. "Dare."

Danny was shocked. He'd expected her to say truth. _Crap. Now I have to think of a dare._ He thought quickly and then remembered that the bar had Karaoke. "I dare you to go up a sing a song."

Cory eyed him. "Ok." She got up and made her way to the DJ stand. Danny watched as she leaned close to the DJ and then grabbed a microphone. She walked to the stage and stood in the center.

The music already playing came to an end and the DJ announced her.

As the lights dimmed around the rest of the bar, soft strains of a piano being played came on.

"_I'm so tired of being here."_

At the sound of Cory's slightly breathy voice, Danny looked up in shock.

"_Suppressed by all my childish fears._

_And if you have to leave._

_I wish that you would just leave._

'_Cuz your presence still lingers here._

_And it won't leave me alone._

_These wounds won't seem to heal._

_This pain is just too real._

_There's just too much that time can not erase._

_When you cried, I'd wiped away all of your tears._

_When you scream, I'd fight away all of your fears._

_I held you hand through all of these years._

_You still have…all of me…"_

The group at the table was stunned. Cory had a beautiful voice.

"_You used to captivate me by your resonating mind._

_Now I'm bound by the life you left behind._

_Your face, it haunts, my once pleasant dreams._

_Your voice, it chased away, all the sanity in me._

_When you cried, I'd wiped away all of your tears._

_When you scream, I'd fight away all of your fears._

_I held you hand through all of these years._

_You still have…all of me._

_I tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone._

_But thought you're still with me._

_I've been alone all along._

_When you cried, I'd wiped away all of your tears._

_When you scream, I'd fight away all of your fears._

_I held you hand through all of these years._

_You still have…all of me…._

_Me…_

_Me…"_

Cory had been so lost in the song that when the applause broke out it startled her. She looked up in shock as people were giving her a standing ovation. She walked back to the DJ booth and returned the microphone.

"Darling," the DJ said. "You can come up and sing anytime you want."

"Thank you." Cory felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment. She picked her way back to the table she was sitting at with words of praise following her.

When she sat down at the table, she noticed everyone staring at her in shock. "What? I'm in the choir at my church back home." She shrugged and looked at Danny. "So, Messer. Truth or Dare?" She had a twinkle in her eye when she asked that.

Danny looked like he couldn't form a complete sentence. "What?"

"Truth or Dare?"

"Um…dare."

"I dare you to do a shot with me."

"A shot? That's all?" At Cory's nod yes, he agreed.

Cory got back up to go the bar. Lindsay and Stella followed her. "What was that song that you sang?" Lindsay asked.

"It's called "My Immortal" by _Evanescence_. It was the only song I think I could have sung on short notice."

Stella responded, "It was beautiful. You were really into the music. It's such a sad song."

"Yeah. Usually I sing something more upbeat when I do Karaoke, but with how today was I just wasn't in the mood for upbeat."

She got up to the bar and waited for the bartender to make his way over to her.

When the bartender made his way down to the three women he smiled. "You sounded amazing on the stage and more people are ordering drinks after you sang."

Cory blushed. "Thanks."

The bartender winked at her. "I'm Greg, by the way. Haven't seen you in here before. You a new cop?"

"I'm Cory. Do I look like a cop?"

Greg tried to backpedal a little, afraid that he had offended her. "No…not really…"

Cory interrupted him by laughing. "I'm an FBI agent. It's alright. I'd like to get a couple of shots."

"Sure. What do you want?"

Cory thought for a moment. "Do you know what a Fade to Black is?" Greg shook his head no. "It has Jagermeister, Bicardi 151 and Goldschlager."

Greg raised his eyebrows. "Ya sure ya want that?"

"Yes. It's a dare. Messer over there dared me to sing Karaoke so I dared him to do a shot with me. We have a hundred bucks riding on who can hold their liquor better. I don't lose."

"Awight, then. Two shots comin' up."

As Greg made the drinks, Stella turned to Cory. "Are you going to be ok? Those are so pretty strong liquors."

"Just make sure someone gets us home ok. I'm not exactly sure how this will hit me after everything I've had to drink tonight. I only hope that it hits Messer harder."

Greg came back with the drinks. "Here you go. Two…what did you call it?"

"Fade to Black. Thanks."

Carefully, Cory carried the shots back to the table.

--

While the girls were at the bar, Mac studied Danny carefully, taking note of how drunk he seemed to be. "How ya holding up, Danny?" he asked.

"I have ta tell ya, boss. I think I'm drunk. Plastered. I can't think and she's…she's fine?"

Both Flack and Mac started to laugh. "She's not only fine, but she flirting with the bartender right now," Flack managed to get out.

Danny quickly turned around, only to grab for the table because he was off balance.

Mac's tone grew serious. "Danny, after this shot, I think you should get home. And pass out."

Danny didn't even try to argue. "K, boss."

Flack was watching as the women started their way back to the table. "Danny. Come on, man. Pull it together. I don't want to lose a hundred bucks because you got drunk under the table by a girl! Here they come. Pull it together, Man!"

Cory walked up to the table. "Here ya go, Messer. One shot. By the way, when we get done with this, I'm going home. I've been up almost 20 hours."

Danny eyed the drink warily. "What is this?"

"It's called a Fade to Black." Cory raised her glass, "_Sláinte!_" With that she downed the shot.

"Was that French again, Feebie?"

Cory put the shot glass back on the table. "No, it was Gaelic. Just drink your shot Messer. Or do you want to call it quits and let me win the bet?"

"I ain't no quitter!" Danny quickly down the shot.

A couple of minutes passed as Cory said her goodbye's to the group. "Well, I'm goin' home now."

Flack and Mac protested to this. "You're a single woman, who despite her constitution just consumed enough alcohol to drop a horse. You are not going home alone!" Flack said.

"Ya wanna protect me Flack?" She raised her eyebrows. "Fine, you can walk me home. I live about a block from here." She looked up in time to see Danny stagger out of his chair.

"Flack? What about Messer? How's he goin' get home? He can't drive."

Flack looked at Danny thoughtfully. "I'd take him, but tomorrow is his off day and I still have to work. He would have no way to get his car." Hawkes, Mac, Stella and Lindsay all nodded in agreement.

Cory thought for a moment. "What about if you bring him to my place? He can just pass out on my couch and since I'm so close to here, he can just walk over here tomorrow."

"Why you guys talking about me as if I'm not here? I am capable of making my own decisions. I can drive myself home."

Mac took a stand at this. "No. Danny you are way to drunk to drive. Give me your keys right now." Mac looked sternly at Danny, willing him to come to his senses. "Cory, I think the idea of letting him crash on your couch is a good one. Flack, take them both to her house."

--

By the time Flack, Danny and Cory had gotten to her apartment it was almost 2am. Danny was starting to feel the effects of the Fade to Black and couldn't walk in a straight line.

Cory was starting to get worried about Danny. _He's really drunk. I shouldn't have gotten him the Fade to Black. I should have stuck to Tequila. Damn me. I'm way to damn competitive for my own good._

Cory looked back over her shoulder as Flack helped Danny navigate the stairs. She opened the door to her apartment and left it open so that it would not interfere with the guys progress.

"Flack. Just get him to the couch." Cory was walking toward her closet where she kept extra blankets and pillows, just in case. When she got back to the living room, Danny was sitting on the couch. She put the blanket and pillow on the couch and then made her way to her kitchen.

"Do you want some coffee or something, Flack?" She called out to him.

"Coffee's good. I think Danny here could use some, too."

Cory put the coffee on to percolate and grabbed a two glasses for water. She filled one up and reaching into her cabinet and got out some ibuprofen. Quickly she swallowed two tablets, trying to stave off the hang-over headache. She grabbed some more and the other glass of water and walked into the living room where she saw Danny sitting with his eyes closed.

"Messer. Hey! Messer! Don't pass out on me yet." Danny opened his eyes. "Here. Take these." She handed him the pills and the glass of water. Without a word he swallowed the pills.

Flack looked at her in speculation. "What did you just give him?"

"Relax, Flack. It's just ibuprofen. It will help to minimize the hang-over in the morning. I'd better go get the coffee." She stood up, but swayed when she got standing.

Flack grabbed her arm to steady her. "You ok?"

"Yeah. The last shot is just hitting me now. Let me get you the coffee."

"Cory. That's ok. Let me just get Danny fixed on the couch and I'll leave so you can go to bed."

Flack quickly maneuvered Danny so that he was lying down. He covered him with the blanket and watched as Cory walked back into the room with a bucket.

"What's that bucket for?"

"In case he has to hurl during the night. I don't want puke all over my apartment." Cory turned to Danny. "Messer? Can you hear me?"

Danny replied sleepily, "What?"

"I put a bucket on the floor by your head. If you need to throw up in the middle of the night, use that."

"K." With those words Danny passed out.

Flack looked at how exhausted Cory looked and took pity on her. Without a word he walked into her kitchen and fixed himself some coffee in a travel mug that she had set out. He turned off the coffee pot after he had filled up the mug.

"Cory. Get to bed. I'm borrowing your travel mug, but I'll give it back to you when I see you again."

Cory didn't argue. She just followed Flack to the door and said good-bye. After she had locked the door, she turned out the lights, walked into her room and fell into the bed. She was asleep before she could remember to change into pajamas.

* * *

_Axellia-Glad you delurked! i must confess i'm the same way! btw-i love the way you write as well...i am a die hard DL shipper too and that's how this story started but my muse had different ideas...i've learned to go along with her or she'll leave me again! as per who the insider is...my muse has not told even me yet!_

_pnkrckprncss- is is good or bad that you're hooked? i definitely check out Something Corporate!_

_chili-peppers, danielle,-thanks! glad y'all are keeping up!_


	5. Headaches and Hangovers

**Disclaimer: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

Chapter 5.

**Headaches and Hangovers**

Cory woke up at 8am and groaned when she looked at her clock. _My one day to sleep in and I wake up early. Why?_

As she became more aware of her surroundings she remembered the previous night. She looked down at herself, realizing that she had slept in her clothes. She rubbed a hand over her face and decided to take a long, hot shower.

It was only when she was washing her hair that she remembered that Danny was asleep in her living room. "Shit. I'd better finish my shower fast," she said out loud. Quickly she finished her shower and dressed in a pair of workout pants and a baggy shirt.

She walked into the living room and found that Danny was still asleep. She checked to make sure he was still alive and noticed that the bucket she had set by him was still empty.

_He's gone to have one Hell of a hangover!_ Smiling, she decided to make breakfast.

The smell of bacon and eggs teased Danny out of his slumber. _"Where am I?"_ Danny tried to remember what happened the previous night. He remembered making the bet with Cory on who could hold their liquor better. The last thing he remembered clearly was daring Cory to do Karaoke.

He tried to open his eyes but quickly shut them after the bright light blinded him. He groaned as the throbbing in his head got worse. He knew he was not in his bed or from the feel of it any bed.

Cory heard him groan and smiled. Reaching into the cabinet she pulled out her bottle of ibuprofen and got two tablets and a glass of water. Walking into the living room she saw Danny trying to sit up.

"Hey Messer," she said softly knowing that loud noises would only aggravate his headache even more.

"Cory? Where am I?"

"You're at my apartment. We kinda decided last night that you were too drunk to go home and since everyone else had to work today besides us, Flack and I brought you here so I can take you back to your car today."

She walked over to him. "Here take these. It'll help."

Danny opened his eyes and saw that she was offering him pain medicine and a glass of water. Gratefully he accepted the pills and swallowed them.

Cory looked at him and wondered what he remembered. "What's the last thing that you remember?"

Danny shook his head carefully, not liking how composed and apparently lacking a hangover she was. "I remember daring you to sing Karaoke and then you daring me to take a shot. What the hell was in that shot anyway?"

Cory looked at him sheepishly. "It had Jagermeister, Bicardi 151 and Goldschlager. Look. Why don't you go grab a shower and I'll finish getting breakfast ready."

"Ok."

"Oh, do you want pancakes or hash browns?"

Danny looked at her in surprise. He'd never had a woman cook him breakfast before and he hadn't even slept with her. "Um…Surprise me?" With that he found his way into her bathroom and got into the shower.

Cory saw the look of surprise he gave her at her question. It looked like no one had ever made him breakfast before. Smiling she went back into the kitchen and decided to make both pancakes and hash browns for him.

By the time Danny had depleted the hot water he was beginning to feel a little better. His stomach was still a little queasy and he really wanted a hot cup of coffee. He looked around the bathroom as he was drying off. He saw the typical female bathroom. All sorts of lotions and make up were lying around. _This feels really weird._

He walked back into the living room and at the smell of food, his stomach grumbled loudly.

Cory looked up and saw him enter the living room. "Food's almost ready, Messer."

He accepted the cup of coffee while she continued to putter around the kitchen. He looked at the refrigerator and noticed some pictures. Curious, he decided to go look at them.

Most of the pictures included Cory and what was probably her family. One picture stood out, however. It was of a younger looking Cory with a good-looking man holding her in his arms. "Who's this?"

Cory looked up and saw that Danny was looking at her pictures. Danny didn't see the brief shadow crossed her face as she saw the picture he was looking at. "An old boyfriend." She left it at that. "Breakfast is ready."

Danny sat at the table while Cory began putting the food out. He saw scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes, hash browns and toast. "This is what you consider breakfast? Some spread."

Cory smiled. "It's my signature hangover cure breakfast. I make it for all my friends that crash on my couch because they are too drunk to drive."

Danny looked at her realizing she was not acting like she had a hangover. "Don't you have a hangover too?

Cory laughed. "Nah. I don't get hangovers. So I just try to help those poor souls that do."

Danny shook his head. He knew that she'd had as much to drink has he did and she wasn't feeling any effects. He watched as she put a glass of orange juice down.

"How's your head feeling? Did the ibuprofen work?"

"It's not pounding quite as much now. Thanks."

Both started to eat their breakfast. Cory had just sat down when her cell phone rang. "Reid. Oh, hey Mac. Yeah, he's awake. Okay. We'll be there in about an hour."

She turned to Danny and said, "Mac thinks he has a lead on the human slave case. He wants us to meet him and Flack at the lab."

Both finished their breakfast quickly. Cory got up from the table. "I have to go get ready."

Cory got dressed quickly in a pair of black slacks and a simple white button down shirt. She pulled her hair out of the loose bun she had it in and securely pinned it back into its normal bun.

As she walked out of her bedroom she called to Danny, "I'm ready to go. You wanna stop by Ray's and pick up your car?"

"Nah. I'll pick it up later."

Cory grabbed her laptop and they walked out of the apartment.

--

"What did you find, Mac?" Cory asked as she and Danny walked into the lab. Danny winced a little under the bright lights.

"The women from the warehouse gave some descriptions of their captors. Enough for a sketch. I'm hoping that you will be able to help identify the men that were holding them."

"Sure." Cory got her laptop out and quickly pulled up a file. She connected with the lab computer in order to put the pictures up on the large monitor so everyone could see. "Let me see the first sketch."

Mac pulled the sketches out of a folder. He showed her the first one and she began scanning the database to see if she could match a photo to the sketch. "Did the women mention any distinguishing tattoos?"

"On this one, one of the women mentioned a tattoo of a woman."

Cory pursed her lips in thought. "He looks like Jesse Valdez, but Jesse doesn't have any tats. Let me see…" Cory started scanning through pictures and stopped on one. "Here. Jesus Valdez, Jesse's brother. He looks like the sketch and he does have a tattoo of a woman on his left shoulder. Were his prints at the scene?"

Cory looked at Danny since he was the one that processed the fingerprints. He seemed a little distracted. "Messer. Earth to Messer?"

Danny looked up. "What? Oh, sorry. I'm just not firing on all cylinders right now. What was your question?"

Cory rolled her eyes. "Did you find any prints for a Jesus Valdez at the scene?"

Danny went to pick up another folder. "Yeah. Right here. One Jesus Valdez's prints were found on the door to the warehouse, but no where in the area were the women were kept. All the prints found where the women were kept were not in AFIS."

"If you leave me the sketches, I'll go through my database and see if I can match them to any unknown people in the surveillance photos."

Mac tried to take the investigation in a different direction. "What do we know about the warehouse? Cory, you have any insight on that?"

Cory thought for a minute. "Not really. Mala Suerte did not seem to be using it, so I had not fully looked into yet. Give me a couple of hours and I'll dig up what I have."

Cory sat down in front of her laptop and quickly started to pull up some data. Mac decided to go check some more things out while Danny went in search of coffee.

A couple of hours had passed before Cory began to get more of an idea of what the warehouse had been used for. She left her laptop and went in search of Mac. The first place she went was the break room. She found Danny there, fast asleep on the couch. Deciding not to disturb him, she went to Mac's office.

"Hey Mac. I found some things that are interesting about the warehouse."

Mac looked up and her. "Continue."

"It seems like the warehouse is owned by the Martinez Brothers. We have suspected them of being involved with Mala Suerte, but haven't gotten any evidence to back that up. I had to wade through a lot of dummy company names before I got to theirs."

"The Martinez Brothers?"

"Yeah. Jose, Gabriel and Hector. They emigrated from Venezuela about 10 years ago. For the most part they look to be on the up and up. Although when I was perusing their tax records, I found some income that could not be explained. I couldn't link it to Mala Suerte at that time, so it went to a different team to investigate. I get in touch with the SAIC and see what the outcome of the case was." Cory looked resigned.

Mac tried to be encouraging. "That will at least give us a place to start. How 'bout I get all the pictures of known Mala Suerte and see if the women recognize anyone?"

Cory nodded. "I had thought about that. It could give us a good starting place. Maybe the women can give us more of a direction."

Mac decided to change topics. "So how hung over was Danny this morning?"

Cory smiled. "Pretty bad. Looked like he had a jackhammer in his head trying to get out. I gave him some ibuprofen and breakfast, so hopefully that helped. He's crashed out on the couch in the break room, though."

Mac smiled a little smile at that and pulled an envelope out of his inside pocket. "Oh, by the way, here is your money from last night. I realized that I forgot to give it to you after you guys left." Mac handed her the envelope with the bet money in it.

"Thanks. I'll go back and upload the files with photos of the known members of Mala Suerte to the lab computer. A lot of them are just surveillance photos and there are some pictures that we don't have names for the people in them." Cory accepted the envelope and turned to go out of the office.

Back at her laptop, she pulled up all the JPEG files that she had for Mala Suerte. She started downloading them to the lab computer. Since there were nearly 1000 images she knew it would take a while to complete the download.

As she was watching the progress of the download she went over the case in her mind. She always did this when the case was going slow. It gave her a chance to go over the fine details and try to figure if she missed something.

She realized that every data disk she had gotten in the past 2 years had data missing. _Who can the mole be? There must be one…Mala Suerte can't just know which of the business' we are going to be raiding without inside information._

When the computer finished downloading the pictures it beeped, breaking Cory out of her thoughts.

Mac walked into the lab. "Any progress?"

"I just uploaded all of the surveillance photos we have of Mala Suerte. You should be able to print them out and show them to the women."

Mac looked at her thoughtfully. "Do you want be involved with interrogation?"

Cory nodded her head. "I'll print off the pictures right now. We can go down to PD and show them the pictures."

--

Cory walked into the interrogation room. She had pictures of all known Mala Suerte members in a folder. She nodded to the interpreter and pulled out the pictures.

"Ladies, I'd like you to look at these pictures and tell me if any of the men are part of the group that held you. Please look very carefully at the photos."

The interpreter repeated the question in Spanish. Cory saw the women look eagerly at the photos.

One of the women, a woman with hair almost completely down her back, pointed to a photo. "Him," she said in English and then looked at the translator to go into more detail.

"He is the one that picked me up from the airport. He brought me to that horrible place, forced me to do unspeakable acts and then beat me when I complained," the translator said.

Cory stood up at that. She walked over to the picture that the woman had pointed to. She nodded her head to let the woman know that she understood what she was saying. "Are there anymore men her that you recognize?"

The woman nodded eagerly, hoping to catch the men that had dishonored them. Over the next hour the group of women pointed out four other men from the surveillance photos. All four of them were suspected, but not confirmed, members of Mala Suerte.

Cory rose to thank the women for their help. She pulled out one last photo and asked all of them, "Did you ever see this man?"

All of the women looked carefully at the photograph, all answered negatively. They did not know the man in the photo. "Thank you for your time."

As she walked out of the room, she saw Mac and Danny standing there. She gave them the photos of the five men that the women had identified as their captors and shook her head when Mac mouthed, Carlos Ortiz?

"No. There's not one damn shred of evidence to prove that he was there. None of the women recognized him and there is no physical evidence to prove it either. Damn it!! We are so close, but yet so far." Cory started pacing in her anger.

Mac looked at Cory and understood her frustration. He felt like that on the DJ Pratt case. He knew he was going to close the case, but it was still frustrating to have him walking the streets free to continue to terrorize women.

"Cory," he said trying to give her some support. "I know that you will solve the case and put the bastard behind bars like he deserves. It just may take some more time. I know how difficult it is have to let someone walk the streets with you knowing that they are guilty. You will solve the case."

Cory seemed a little happier at the vote of confidence. "Thanks, Mac. I needed that."

"Anytime. Why don't you go on home and try to relax. That helps me take my mind off of things and you might come up with another plan of attack. I'll take Danny to his car."

"Really?" At Mac's nod yes she continued, "Thanks. I'll see y'all later."

--

Danny and Lindsay worked hard at trying to identify the men in the photos that Cory had given them. So far, they had identified two of the men. Ernesto Perez and Javier Valenzuela. Danny called Flack to give him the information.

A little while later, they were still working to identify the other three men when Danny's cell rang.

"Messer."

"_It's Flack. It looks like Perez and Valenzuela have skipped town. Both of their apartments were packed up and the clothes missing."_

"Damn. They were the two that the women identified as being the 'couriers'. Both were responsible for picking the women up at the airport and taking them to the warehouse."

"_I agree. Damn. Any ID's on the other's?"_

"No. Not yet. Montana and I are still working on it, but these guys have never been in the system. We'll try, but we're pretty much at a dead end now. I hate it when cases go cold!!"

Lindsay looked up at that and nodded in agreement. Danny hung up his phone and looked at her. "Well Montana, it looks like this is one for the cold case files. Both Perez and Valenzuela have skipped town."

Both CSI's shook their heads in frustration as they cleaned up to go home.

* * *

_axellia-wow...snakebite sounds like a drink i'd like to try. i've heard of a fade to purple, but i don't know if i have the guts to try it! as for the critique-thanks for noticing...i reposted the chapter after i read you're review...i forgot to preview it before i posted it. glad i could recall a night out for you!_

_tylerhitlongroupie52-i promise more fm radio to come...glad you like the story so far._

_chili-pepper-Thanks!_

_pnkrckprncss-please don't keep me from letting you study! my school let in in early may so i know how hectic thost last couple of weeks are (bright side--only 7 more classes before i graduate! yeah!)_

_adamsgirl-i glad you like the horse names...i actually got it from the biblical sense (i was thinking of "couples" names and i figured since she is from the "bible belt" it was fitting)._

_screaming-poetically-wow. i'm stunned. that is the best compliment that i ever could have gotten! i promise more fm radio soon (not this chapter obviously)...i've already written the chapter about when they are starting to reveal their feelings (i think it's starts in 7 and definately gets going in 8)...so soon! i promise!_


	6. Breathe

**Disclaimer: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:** _Spoilers for Hero's also: the song is "Breathe" by Seven Channels_

Chapter 6.

**Breathe**

Several weeks had passed since the human slave case had gone cold. Cory was still on the money trail trying to pin down Carlos Ortiz and her frustration level was rising. She felt like she had hold of slippery fish and she just couldn't keep hold of him. In all the cases that she had investigated, she could tie them to Mala Suerte but not to Carlos Ortiz.

Cory remembered Mac's words and tried not to get as frustrated, but it was hard and she didn't feel like she could talk about it to anyone at her job. She knew that there was a mole, even though there was no evidence to corroborate that.

After a long sixty hour week, she decided to go to Ray's to see if the gang was there. _I just need to talk to Mac. The way he gave me that advice, was almost like he was going through the same thing._

Traffic was hectic and while she was driving to the bar, she heard about the former cop who had been killed and burned in a car. _That's awful…I wonder if any of the guys knew her?_

She parked at her house and decided to walk to Ray's, so that way if she got drunk, she didn't have to worry about driving.

It was about 8pm when she walked into the bar. She saw Flack first and then the rest of the gang sitting around the table. She could tell from their faces that something was wrong. She had never seen Flack without a smile and his face was grim.

Taking a deep breathe she walked up to the table. "Hey, y'all. What's going on? Why does everyone look so down?"

Cory looked at everyone seated at the table. Neither Flack nor Danny seemed to be able to get any words out. Stella started crying and Mac and Hawkes just swallowed hard. Oddly enough it was Lindsay who answered her question. "We lost one of our own today," she said quietly.

"Oh my God. I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do to help? Do you need anything that the FBI can provide? I detest cop killers and I will stop at nothing to see that they are brought to justice."

Mac smiled a little at this. "No. She was a CSI and left enough clues that we were able to catch her killer. It's a man that we have been after for a very long time."

Cory was curious. "What was her name?"

"Aiden. Aiden Burns." Danny was so choked up with emotion that he could barely get the words out.

"Do you mind talking about her? What was she like in life? It might help the grieving process?"

Danny got upset at her words. "Don't tell me about the grieving process!! You have no idea how I feel!"

"Danny, calm down," said Mac.

"It's okay, Mac." Cory said. "He has to let it out. And Messer, what makes you thing that I have never lost a friend that I cared about in the line of duty? Huh? Do you think that only city cops have that burden to bear?"

Something in her voice effectively killed Danny's rage. "Gawd, I'm sorry, Cory. I just wanted to lash out at something."

"I understand, Messer. Tell ya what. I'll buy you another beer if you tell me all the great things about Aiden." Danny agreed.

A couple of hours and a couple of beers later, the tension in the air had lessened somewhat. Everyone was remembering Aiden for who she was instead of for how she died.

Cory noticed a lag in the Karaoke singers and decided to pay tribute to the women that she was just introduced to, even if she was dead. She got up from the table and went to the DJ booth.

"Hey. I want to see if you have a certain song." Cory leaned over and told the DJ which song she wanted.

Back at the table, Lindsay noticed that Cory had not come back yet. "Hey, do you know where Cory went?"

No sooner than the words were out of her mouth, Lindsay heard Cory on stage.

"NYPD lost one of its own today. I'd like to dedicate this song to her and to all of the men and women of law enforcement that have sacrificed their lives to make the streets a safer place."

Music came on.

"_It' been so long since you've gone away_

_And I know things will never be the same_

_I break it all down so it will show to me clear_

_All the while I'm wishing you were here._

_In my dreams I can see and feel your face_

_But next to me sits an empty space._

_Sometimes, life doesn't make any sense to me,_

_I need some time to heal and some space to breathe._

_I'm breathing you in and I'm breathing you out._

_Breathing you in and breathing you out._

_Breathing you in and breathing you out._

_I'm breathing you in...Yeah, yeah._

_As I lay on the floor and I wonder why,_

_The question lingers, why did you die?_

_I thank God for you and the memories,_

_But I still wish you were here with me._

_I'm breathing you in and I'm breathing you out._

_Breathing you in and breathing you out._

_Breathing you in and breathing you out._

_I'm breathing you in...Yeah, yeah."_

While there was a slight musical bridge, the words that Cory was singing started to sink in Danny's head. Even though he could tell it was a rock song, he had never heard it before and it touched him in a way that he had not expected. It mirrored his feelings about Aiden.

"_Gone away and I pray for the strength to_

_The strength to carry on._

_I'm breathing you in and I'm breathing you out,_

_I still feel you though you're gone._

_I'm breathing you in and I'm breathing you out._

_Breathing you in and breathing you out._

_Breathing you in and breathing you out._

_I'm breathing you in...Yeah, yeah. _

_Breathing you in and I'm breathing you out._

_Breathing you in and breathing you out._

_Breathing you in and breathing you out._

_I'm breathing you in...Yeah, yeah._

_Breathing you in and I'm breathing you out._

_Breathing you in and breathing you out._

_Breathing you in and breathing you out._

_I'm breathing you in...Yeah, yeah."_

Thunderous applause rang out after she finished the song. "Thank you."

She walked back to the table, a little choked with emotion. She saw Lindsay and Stella openly crying and Mac, Hawkes, Flack and Danny were all swallowing hard, trying to suppress the emotions that they were feeling.

"Hey y'all. I hope you don't mind about the song. Every time we lose an agent, when we all go out after the funeral, I always sing that song. I figured that it was just as appropriate now."

Mac was the first person able to speak. "That was beautiful. Very appropriate." Mac's throat closed up on him again.

Lindsay, who had never met Aiden, calmed down after that. "That you, Cory. I wish that I was able to do something just as touching." She stopped talking as their waitress walked up carrying a round of drinks.

"Here ya go guys. Drinks are on the house this round."

The group looked up in surprise. "Thanks."

"No prob. Greg, the bartender, said that if you guys lost one of your own, you deserved a round on the house." With that the waitress walked away.

After everyone finished their drinks, people started wandering off. Lindsay and Stella decided to go home, Flack and Danny wanted to go somewhere else to drink a little more and Hawkes had to go back to the lab. Mac was getting up to leave when Cory put a hand on his arm. "Mac. Can you stay a bit? I need to talk to someone about a problem and I think you are the right person."

"Sure. What can I do to help you?"

"Remember when I told you that I think that there is a mole in my investigation?" Mac nodded yes. "I went back over my files, thanks to your advice. I found that all the data I've received the last two years has had data missing. Not enough to be noticeable unless under intense scrutiny. I'm not sure what to do."

"Have you talked to your supervisor about it?"

"That's just it. I'm afraid that if I go to my supervisor than the mole will find out and it will set the investigation back even further!"

"What types of data are missing?"

"How much do you know about accounting?"

"Not much. I do my taxes, that's pretty much it."

"Let me explain a little. There is one basic rule in accounting. Every thing balances. The basic formula is Assets equal Liabilities plus Equity. Everything on one side of the equation must equal everything on the other side of the equation."

Mac nodded his head. "Ok. I'm with you so far."

Cory smiled, her eyes twinkling as the talked about one of her passions. "Well, when companies are entering transactions into their systems they use something called journal entries. The most basic way I can explain journal entries is like this. When a company buys…let's say it's a machine, there is an entry showing where cash went out, but also showing where the equity from the machine itself came in. That make sense?"

"A little."

"Well. I spent the last week going over all the journal entries in every file that I have. Some of them are missing. Thus the missing data."

"You don't feel comfortable talking to your supervisor about it?"

"Mac. I don't know who to trust. All of the data that is corrupted has come from this office. I just don't know at what point in the chain of custody that the evidence was compromised. Worse case scenario, someone pretty high up is on Mala Suerte's payroll and is feeding them the information about where we are going to raid. Best case scenario, someone is playing with the evidence when we get it into our custody. I really hope that it's that one because if it's not, unless we find the mole we will never catch Ortiz!"

Mac looked at her thoughtfully. "That is a pretty bad problem. What about going to a superior in another department? Would they be able to look into the problem discretely?"

"If I had more than suspicions, then yeah I could do that. But all I have right now are suspicions. I don't have anything to back it up, except some missing data that even I had to search for days to find." Cory looked frustrated.

"I don't know what to tell you other than sometime, if there is a mole, that person will make a mistake and leave a trail for you to follow. I've learned to always follow the evidence. It will never lead you wrong."

Cory got up. "Thanks, Mac. I needed someone to tell me that I'm doing the right thing. I'm going to go home and look over the evidence a little more. See if I can find anything else. Thanks again."

Cory grabbed her coat and walked home, lost in thought.

When she got back to her apartment she had mentally made a list of all the possible people that could be the mole. She pulled out her laptop and turned it on.

Quickly, she opened up a new spreadsheet and began a list. She was determined to find out who the mole was and how the data was being corrupted. She was talking to herself while typing.

"Let's start at the bottom at work up. The only lab techs that work on the data are John, Scott and Fernando. I've only know them a couple of months, but they don't look like they're living beyond their means. Then you have Ashley, Bernard and Phillip. Again, they don't seem to be living beyond their salaries. Next, we have Liz and Byron. They have a lot more access to the data and the skills to cover up if they have gone rouge."

Cory chewed on her thumbnail. "The next people in line are me and Travis. We are the two highest up people that know what is going on day to day. I know I'm not the mole, but Travis? He wants to catch these bastards as much as I do. He hasn't been spending any more money that what he earns. Damn. I need to take a closer look at all the computers that were seized."

Cory laid her head back on the couch. _I just need to rest my eyes for a sec._ That was her last thought as she fell asleep.

* * *

_chili-peppers-i'm so glad you love it! it's been frustrating at times (my muse and i are arguing right now about the direction of the story) but it's so nice to see that people actually like what i'm writing! i haven't seriously written anything except poetry in the last 10 years._

_axellia-don't worry about late read! i'm a night owl so i'm usually lurking online at that time (usually later on weekends)...fm radio took me a while to work out too, so don't feel bad. hope you like this chappie._

_screaming-poetically--i don't just like DP...i'm officially addicted...it was so bad when i travelled in europe a while back and no one there had even heard of it (even at the hard rock cafe)! _


	7. Drill Down

**Disclaimer: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ "Drill Down" is an accounting term that means to take the data and to find out where the source is._

Chapter 7.

**Drill Down**

A couple of weeks had passed since Cory's conversation with Mac. Mala Suerte's gang activities had been off the radar. Cory had slowly deepened her investigation into the team that had access to all of the evidence she had received. She had investigated into their personal lives, finding nothing out of the ordinary. She decided it was time to take a harder look at the actual computers.

She walked into the computer lab saying hello to John. "Do you mind if I take a look at the last computer that was seized?"

John gestured to a computer. "Knock yourself out."

Cory sat down at the computer and turned it on. She decided to get to know John a little better, so that she could try to find out if he was the mole.

"So, John, how long have you worked here?"

"About 3 years, after I graduated from MIT," he responded vaguely.

Cory decided to press some more. "MIT? I'm impressed. Why the FBI?"

John looked up at that. "It's in my blood. My dad was an agent. He was killed when I was 12 by a gang he was investigating. Ever since then I've wanted to try to put away the jerks that killed him."

_Guess that gets him off my list._ Cory furrowed her brow at that. "I'm sorry to hear that." Cory went silent as she pulled up the accounting software. She looked into the journal entries and found that the data that was missing on her copy was also missing on the hard drive.

"Hey, John?"

"Yeah."

"Is there a way to recover deleted records? I know that once it's deleted it's not really gone, it's just waiting to be rewritten."

John walked over to the computer. Cory got out of his way and he typed in a line of code. "This is weird. Normally you can recover the info, but it looks like whoever deleted this set up a virus to completely overwrite the information as it was deleted."

Cory sighed. "Can you tell when it was deleted?" She hope to try to narrow the search.

John typed in a line of code. "Here you go."

Cory looked at the date code and realized that the data was deleted the day before the raid happened. _"That's odd. The only people that new we were going to raid that warehouse were me, Travis, Byron and Liz. The mole must be one of them."_

John looked at her. "Did that help?"

'Yeah, it did. Can we do this on every computer we have seized from Mala Suerte in the last 6 months?"

"Sure."

Cory and John worked on the other 12 computers that the FBI had seized. Cory found out that on all except for one of the computers, the data had been deleted less than 24 hours before the raid.

Cory consulted her notes. The only computer intact was from a fairly small raid that Liz and Byron had no connection to. Cory shook her head in denial. While she didn't know Byron really well, she and Liz had become good friends in the last 5 months. She decided to go back to her office.

Cory had just stood up and was gathering the papers that she had made notes on when her phone rang.

"Reid."

"_Cory. It's Flack. We have situation."_

--

Cory showed her badge to the uniform cop posted outside of the crime tape, then ducked under the tape to walk in. She walked toward the building and saw two cops getting sick beside their cars. As soon as she entered the building, the smell of decomp hung in the air.

Flack met her at the door. "Brace yourself…its pretty bad in there."

When she walked into the apartment she drew in a shocked breath as her stomach recoiled in horror. Blood was everywhere. It covered the walls, the floor, and the furniture. "Oh my God! This is a bloodbath! Now I know why Flack stayed outside!"

Lindsay and Hawkes looked up at that. "Yeah, it's pretty bad."

Hawkes spoke up at that. "The vic's have been dead for approximately a week. 5 Hispanic males between the ages of 16-20."

Cory looked down at the dead bodies. The men had been had been brutally tortured.

Hawkes was listing their injuries while he worked. "All of their fingers are broken, both legs broken and five GSW's to the chest."

Cory turned her head at that. "Are the shots in a cross pattern?"

Hawkes looked up. "How'd you know?"

"It's classic Ortiz. That's his signature. Whenever he kills to send a message, he uses that pattern." Cory looked at the two victims farthest away from her, recognition flashing in her eyes. "That's Perez and Valenzuela." She took a closer look at the other three victims. "Lindsay, aren't these the other men that the women singled out from my pictures?"

"Yeah. They are. I'd be willing to bet that they were killed because Ortiz found out that we were on to them." Cory turned to walk to the other bodies, stepping over congealing pools of blood while she walked. She was obviously looking for something.

Lindsay followed her. "What are you looking for?"

Cory looked over her shoulder. "The message."

Lindsay raised her eyebrows. "What message?"

"Every time Ortiz kills someone like this, he leaves a message in blood. Something cryptic. Something that he knows that I will know is from him, but still not leaving any evidence that it was actually him. Sorry…that doesn't make sense does it?"

Lindsay shrugged her shoulders. "It does kinda. He wants you to know he's responsible without leaving any evidence to convict him."

Once Lindsay said that Cory spotted a blood trail that looked a little too ordered. She followed the trail of blood into a bedroom. As soon as she walked in, she found what she had been seeking.

On the wall behind the bed was the message. It read, "Good help is so hard to find. Enjoy!"

Hawkes and Lindsay walked up behind her as she read the words.

"Boy. This guy is psycho!" explained Hawkes.

"Is he just trying to toy with you, Cory?"

"Yeah. He's obsessed with me for some reason." Cory was cryptic with that last remark. She thought she knew the reason, but was not prepared to air it. "We done here?"

Hawkes and Lindsay looked at each other. "We've collected all the evidence that we can."

The three people left the apartment and prepared to go to the crime lab.

As they got outside, they met up with Flack. Cory noticed that Flack briefly checked Lindsay out. It wasn't obvious, just a quick glance up and down, but Cory smiled at that. "So, y'all going to the lab?" The others just shook there heads. "I guess I'll meet ya there. I came in my own car today."

--

When Cory got to the lab, she found Lindsay in the DNA lab, alone, muttering to herself.

"What's wrong Lindsay?"

"It's just Hawkes. We get back to the lab and he just disappears, telling me that I can handle the DNA by myself. Do you know how many samples that I have to run? Without help, I'll be here half the night!"

Feeling bad for the woman, Cory offered to help, even though she had no training. Lindsay calmed down at that. "That's ok. I'll just let you print the results."

Cory decided to probe a bit. "So, what do you think of Flack?"

Lindsay frowned at that. "I don't know. I haven't really spent a lot of time with him. When I first saw him, my jaw dropped. He is so gorgeous. He's cocky and arrogant and so entirely sure of himself. But he's also sweet, kind and loyal."

"So you like him?"

"I don't know him well enough to sort out my feelings. Why do you ask?"

Cory looked up slyly at that. "I saw him checking you out at the scene. I wondered if there was more there."

Lindsay blushed at that. "Really?"

"Yeah, really. You should go for it. I have pretty good instincts about who will make good couples and I think that y'all will."

Lindsay sighed. "I just can't ask him out. It's just not like that where I come from. I mean, I'm from a small town."

Cory patted her shoulder. "I understand. I could never ask a guy out either!!" Both women laughed at that and decided to get back to work.

A few hours later Lindsay had finished processing all of the blood samples. All of the samples had come back to the victims.

Flack walked in just as the women had finished reviewing the results. "Anything new?"

Lindsay shook her head no. "All of the blood samples came back to the vic's. There was no foreign DNA present."

Hawkes walked in just as Lindsay was talking. "There were no foreign fibers, hair or trace either. The killers must have cleaned up afterwards."

Cory spoke up at that. "They've had practice. We caught a couple of underlings on evidence that we found at the scene. They know what to clean up and how to prevent the evidence from being left. The last three killings, this one included, all had been cleaned."

Flack saw how dejected Cory and Lindsay looked and tried to cheer them up. "On the bright side, the human slave case is closed. With all of the suspects dead, there is nothing more to do."

Lindsay countered him. "That may be closed but now we have a multiple homicide that that is going to stay a mystery."

"Linds….look on the bright side! These men were scum. While there families may miss them, the world is a better place without them," Flack said, still trying to cheer her up. He hated to see her upset. Her smile always made him feel better.

Cory decided to make her exit. "Y'all. I have to go. I was in the middle of researching some data for the Ortiz case when you called. I still have to go back to the office and get my notes. Call me if you get anything new." Hawkes, Lindsay and Flack all said good-bye.

--

Cory walked back into office after everyone had left for the day. She sat down at her desk, slipped her shoes off her feet and grabbed a Dr. Pepper from the mini-fridge that she had behind her desk.

She closed her eyes in happiness as she started drinking the soda. She rolled her neck, popping out the tension and she reached for the notes she had written in the lab earlier.

_Shit. All of this is pointing to either Liz or Byron. There is so much I don't know about everyone here. I've only been here for five months and I still feel like an outsider._

Cory sighed as she realized that she had enough evidence to start a discreet investigation into the team. She decided to take the files to the director the next day and see what she could get investigated. Turning off her light, she grabbed her coat and decided to go home.

--

Cory walked into the office the next morning in a somber mood.

"Cory!" She turned and saw Travis walking up to her. "Why'd you leave so suddenly yesterday?"

"Oh. Detective Flack called about a possible homicide involving Mala Suerte."

"Was it?"

"Yeah. Ortiz's signature was all over the killings. Same way the others were killed. Broken fingers, legs and shot in the chest in a cross pattern. The victims were the men the NYPD was looking for in the human slave case." Cory turned to walk into her office. "See ya later. I have work to do."

Travis said good-bye as Cory closed her door. She set her things down on the desk and sat there, not believing what she was about to do. Slowly she picked up her phone and dialed number.

"Yes. I'd like to speak to Agent Michaels, please. This is Agent Reid."

"Agent Michaels? Hi. This is Agent Reid, the SAIC of the Mala Suerte case. I'd like to meet with you in regards to some…unsettling discoveries that I have made. 2pm? That's great for me. Thank you, sir." Cory put the phone down. _I hope I'm up for this. I'm going to be branded a pariah if I'm wrong about this. I just want to catch Ortiz. When this is over, I'm taking a vacation and relaxing somewhere that I don't have to lift a finger or think about anything!_

--

Gathering her courage a little later in the day, Cory took the scenic route to Agent Michaels's office. She meandered for a bit, since she didn't want anyone to know what she was doing. Once she arrived, Agent Michaels's assistant showed her into the office.

Cory extended her hand and Agent Michaels shook it. "Good afternoon, sir. I'm Agent Reid."

"A pleasure to meet you, Agent Reid. I hear that you are most dedicated to solving the Mala Suerte case."

"Yes, sir. I really want this bastard to pay for what he's done. That's why I'm here. I believe there is a mole feeding him information."

Agent Michaels looked up at that. "Do you have any proof?"

Cory put the file she had been holding on his desk. "Yes, sir. That's why I'm here. I was going over some old data, trying to get a new perspective and hopefully a new lead. I discovered some inconsistencies with data. Blocks of data were missing from the files that I was receiving."

"What types of data?"

"Blocks of journal entries. The books were not balancing. So I decided to go back to the computer itself to make sure there wasn't something wrong with the upload. With the help of John I discovered that not only were the hard drives corrupted, but it was impossible to find the deleted data. We should have been able to recover the deleted data, because really it's just moved pending to be rewritten. However, whoever deleted the data, inserted a virus which immediately rewrote the data to make it unrecoverable. We were able to pinpoint when the data was deleted."

Agent Michaels looked impressed. "When was it deleted?"

"Out of the 12 computers I investigated, 11 computers had corrupt data. We determined in all of the corrupted computers the data was deleted approximately 24 hours before the raid."

"Who has access to where the raids are going to take place?"

"There are four people. Myself, Travis Miller, Liz Jeffries and Byron Chambers. We all decide the day before which business we are going to raid. No one else is informed until a couple of hours before the raid." Cory looked Agent Michaels straight in the eye, silently willing him to agree with her.

"I see your point. I'll definitely start an investigation into all four of you. I must include you, you understand that, right?"

"Yes. I am willing to do whatever it takes to make sure the son of a bitch is caught. He's killed at least three agents. I want him to pay. Just be as discrete as possible, I don't want him to get wind of our suspicions and bolt."

"Agreed. I'll put a team together to poke around into everyone. I will have to keep you out of the loop until you are cleared, however. If you find anymore evidence, can you bring it to me?"

"Sure. Thanks for your time, Agent Michaels." Cory got up and returned to her office.

* * *

_axellia-i'm glad you read it "hot off the presses" :) but to answer your question-yes, i'm actually an accounting major (if i ever finish school that it!) and i'm glad i was able to introduce you to seven channels! they are an amazing band from Dallas that unfortunately have parted ways(sobbing uncontrollably)...i will miss them but look forward to their next projects!_

_chili-peppers-glad you like it! more to come!_

_screaming-poetically-finally fm radio starts! it's almost just a tease here, but i promise in 8 & 9 there will be a lot more! i hope you enjoyed it!_


	8. Aftermath

**Disclaimer: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Spoilers for Charge of This Post._

Chapter 8.

**Aftermath**

Cory had decided to do some much needed shopping. She decided that she wanted some other work clothes since most of her stuff was suitable for Texas, not for New York. Her winter clothes were too hot and her summer clothes were too cold.

It was early afternoon and she was walking through the electronics department when she heard the news report of a bombing. Most shoppers just walked on by, the crime not being big news, but Cory just stopped and listened to the report.

She gasped in shock when she saw a picture of Flack on a stretcher. _"Oh my God!"_ Hurriedly she paid for her purchases and quickly went home to drop off the shopping bags.

When she got home she called Lindsay. _"Monroe."_

"Lindsay, it's Cory. I just saw the news. Is Flack ok?"

"_He's in surgery right now. He's listed in critical condition."_ Lindsay's voice broke. _"I don't know if he'll make it or not."_

"What hospital is he at? I'll go down there."

"_Trinity. Can you keep me updated?"_

"Sure. Linds? You sure you're ok?"

"_I'll be fine. Thanks for asking."_

"Ok. Do you want to come by after you get off? Ya know. Just to talk?"

"_Sure."_

Cory gave Lindsay directions to her apartment and told Lindsay to call her when she was on her way. She changed into come comfortable clothes and made her way to the hospital.

--

Cory walked into recovery just as Mac walked out with his camera. "Hi, Mac. How's Flack?"

Mac looked up in surprise. "Cory? What are you doing here?"

Cory looked a little sheepish. "Y'all are the closest things that I have to friends here and I wanted to make sure Flack was okay. Besides, I know that all y'all will all be working on this case, and I have the day free to sit beside his bedside and keep ya informed to his condition."

"You would really do that?"

"Yeah. That's what friends are for."

"Thanks, Cory," Mac said as he turned to leave.

After Mac left, Cory paced in the hall until the nurse came to tell her that Flack had been moved to a private room. She showed Cory the way and let her know that she could stay in the room if she wanted. Cory murmured her thanks and sat down in a chair in the room.

"Hey, Flack. It's Cory. The rest of the team is working on finding the bastard that did this to you. I'm here to keep you company until they get done. I have to tell ya, you don't look so good."

Cory took a long look at Flack. She had read somewhere that coma patients might be able to hear if you were talking to them, so she decided to keep talking. "Anyway, I want to know something. Even I can see the sparks between you and Lindsay. Why don't you ask her out? Anyway, I'm rambling. If you remember this when you wake up, you have to tell me the answer to my question."

Just then a nurse interrupted her. "Excuse me, ma'am. I need to take his vital signs. I'll need to you step out for a few minutes."

Cory stood up. "Ok. I'll just go get the paper. That way I can read to him and keep myself from being bored."

Cory left the room and went to the cafeteria. She grabbed something to eat and a New York Times. When she got done eating, she walked back up to Flack's room.

The nurse was just leaving as she got back up there. "He's all your, hun."

Cory smiled at the older woman. "Thanks."

She sat back down in her chair and pulled out the front page. She had just begun reading the first article when the monitors sounded an alarm. "Oh God." Cory ran to the door and yelled for a nurse.

A doctor and nurse came running at her panicked cries.

"He's coding!! Grab the crash cart." The doctor looked at her. 'Miss. You'll have to leave the room." Cory nodded and silently left the room.

She watched outside in shock as the doctor continued working on Flack. _"Come on Flack. You can't die. Please don't die!!"_

Inside the room the nurse handed the doctor the paddles for the defribulator. "Clear." Cory watched in horror as Flack's body convulsed as the electric current raced through his body. He was still flatlining. "Up the voltage. Clear!" Flack's body convulsed again. This time the EKG started beeping with a heartbeat rhythm. Cory sighed in relief as the beeping stayed steady.

At that moment, Cory's cell phone rang. Still trembling a bit she answered it shakily. "Reid."

"_Cory. It's Lindsay. How's Flack doing?"_

Cory was silent as she debated with herself on whether or not she was going to tell Lindsay the truth. Finally she decided to come clean. "I won't lie to you Linds. He just coded and I thought we were going to lose him. But the doctors brought him back and he's fine now."

"_What!!"_

"Linds. Calm down. He's okay now. His body has been through a traumatic shock and unfortunately this is to be expected." Her voice gentled. "Linds. I know that this is hard for you, but he'll be fine. How's the case going?"

"_It's slow going. Danny and Mac are checking out a library where we think the bomber is planning on blowing up. Other than that, there is just a lot of evidence to catalog."_

"Okay. Go do your job. I'll call you if anything changes in Flacks condition."

Cory hung up with Lindsay and walked back into Flack's room. "Ok. Flack. Since you didn't seem to like the headlines, let's try the crossword." Cory got a pencil out of her purse and started to answer the crossword, occasionally talking out loud while she thought out the answer.

She was still sitting there, trying to do the crossword, several hours later when Mac walked in.

"Hey, Mac. Did y'all close the case?"

"Yeah. How's he doing?"

"Still no change since he coded. It looks like he is steadily improving. The doctors are cautiously optimistic. Since you're here, I'm going to head home."

"Do that, Cory. You've been here the entire day. Go get some sleep." Mac gestured for her to leave.

--

A car stopped in front of Cory's apartment. Inside were Danny and Lindsay. "Thanks for the ride, Danny. Ya didn't have to."

"That's okay, Montana. I understand the not wanting to be alone thing." There was something in his voice that drew Lindsay's attention. "Look, Cory and I were just going to talk. Ya want to come up?"

"Nah. That's okay. I'm just going to go home and then go back to the hospital in a couple of hours to check on Flack and relieve Mac so he'll get some sleep."

"Okay. If you change you're mind, you know where we are."

Lindsay got out of the car and Danny waited until Cory had buzzed her in to leave.

Cory opened the door for Lindsay and took one look at the woman and wrapped her in a big hug. "How ya doing?"

"I honestly don't know. I was so scared when you said that he had coded. The first thing that went through my mind was that he doesn't know how I feel about him. I like him, a lot. Haven't felt this way about a guy in a long time."

"I know. That's why it took me so long to answer you. I didn't want to freak you out, but I figured that you deserved the truth, just in case. Let me fix you a drink." Cory walked into her kitchen and grabbed a bottle of wine.

"So, Linds? What is it with you and Flack? The sparks are all there. I could see them the first time I saw y'all together. At first I thought that you were a couple."

"I didn't think that it was mutual. I mean…" Lindsay stopped a second and drew a breath. "The first time I saw him, my jaw dropped. He looks like a movie star and totally acts like a player. That's what kept me from revealing my feelings. I don't want to get hurt."

Cory nodded understandingly. "I understand, but no pain, no gain. Linds, like it or not, with our jobs, tomorrow is never certain. _Carpe Diem._ Seize the day. As soon as he gets well enough, let him know how he feels."

Lindsay nodded. "I'll take it into consideration. Can we talk about anything, and I mean anything, else?"

"Sure. Are you an only child?"

Lindsay smiled, thinking about her family. "No, but I have more brothers. I have three brothers. Two older, one younger and one younger sister. What about you?"

"I have one younger sister. We didn't get along as children. She's a hothead and I'm more…controlled."

The women continued to talk for another hour until Lindsay yawned. "I'd better head home."

Cory protested. "You can't go home at this hour! It's not safe. Why don't you just crash in my spare bedroom? I have some clothes you can sleep in."

"Really, I couldn't put you out."

"Linds. I will not take no for an answer."

"Fine."

Lindsay left to get ready and then climbed into bed as was asleep soon after her head hit the pillow. Cory, meanwhile, went around the apartment turning off lights and cleaning up.

She had just finished and was walking back to her room when she heard the door buzzer. Concerned about who would be calling at this time of night she went to her buzzer. "Yes?"

"Cory? It's Danny. Can I come up?"

Shaking her head, confused about why Danny would be there she buzzed him in. Minutes later there was a knock on her door.

"Messer? Everything ok?"

"Yeah. Lindsay just mentioned that you guys were going to be talking and invited me to come up."

"Sure. Come on in."

When Danny walked in he realized that all the lights were off and Lindsay was no where to be found. "Gawd. Are you guys done?"

"It's okay, Danny." Danny looked up when she actually used his name. "Lindsay's in my spare bedroom sleeping."

"Wait. She gets the spare room and I got the couch? That ain't right."

Cory laughed. "She's not drunk off her ass, Messer. I didn't want you puking all over my good sheets. Come on, let's sit down."

Cory led Danny to her couch. She looked at him deeply, sensing that he really needed to talk. "What's up?"

"I don't know. After I dropped Lindsay off, I just drove around. I couldn't…I just couldn't go home."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"For some strange reason, yes. So much has happened in the last month that I just don't know what to do." Danny dropped his eyes and looked at his hands.

"What happened?"

Danny looked up again. "Ya know how bad things always happen in threes?" At Cory's nod, he continued, "First it was my brother. He was part of the Tanglewood Boys."

Cory drew a sharp breath. "They're pretty bad, Danny. And what do you mean by was?" Cory was almost reluctant to hear his answer, fearing the worst.

"He took on Sonny Sassone and he beat him up, pretty bad. He's still in the hospital, in a coma."

"Oh, God, Danny. I'm so sorry!" Cory leaned over and put her arm around him. "You know it's not your fault, right?"

Danny closed his eyes, as the memories washed over him. "It is. I was being accused of a murder that Sonny committed. Louie…he knew that I was innocent, so he wore a wire and got Sonny to confess. Then Sonny beat the shit out of him and left him for dead."

Cory protested at this. She put her hand under his chin and forced him to look in her eyes. _Man. His eyes hold almost as much pain as mine do._ When she was sure he was paying attention she continued, "Danny. This. Is. Not. Your. Fault. Even if Louie was trying to help you out, you did not ask him to do this, did you?" Danny nodded no. "He did what he did out of his own free will. Don't keep doing this to yourself."

Danny shuddered as her words penetrated. "I'll try. But I'll still feel guilty."

"Just try, Danny. That's all I'm asking." Cory thought back over his words. She thought she knew what the third thing was. "What's the second?" Danny looked at her, confused. "You said that bad things come in threes. I kinda guessed that Flack was number three, so what's number two?"

"Oh. It was two things, actually. Stella was attacked by her boyfriend and she ended up killing him. I just wish that I had five minutes alone with the bastard before he died. I would've made sure that he realized the error of his ways! And then only a week after that…Aiden."

Cory smiled a little at that. "That's awful. You would never know it by looking at her. She must be a very strong woman. No wonder her and Mac get along so well. As for Flack, wanna talk about it?"

Danny nodded and just started talking about Flack, Aiden and Louie, recalling all the good memories that he had. Slowly, Cory noticed that his voice was getting softer and slower. When he stopped talking completely, she looked up and realized that he had fallen asleep. The way they were sitting on the couch she knew it would be impossible to get up without waking him. Slowly, she lay down and soon after her head touched the cushion she was fast asleep as well.

* * *

_axellia-i'm so glad you're loving it...it's going to be a while on the fluff...for some reason my muse seems to be mopey and depressed lately, so she's making me write angst! don't worry about being bored! enjoy it while you can...soon you'll have to get a job and all that free time will just be a memory!_

_tylerhiltongroupie53- (i'm blushing) i'm glad you like the developement of the characters...i knew going into this story that it would not happen immediatley...it was going to take a while for the characters to begin to mesh...more fm radio in this chapter and the next chapter too!_

_chili-peppers-my head is going to explode with all of this praise! i'm glad your enjoying it!_


	9. Dreams

Disclaimer: I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn

**Disclaimer: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ ._

Chapter 9.

**Dreams**

Lindsay was the first to wake up the next morning. She stretched and then remembered the previous day. _I hope Flack is okay. Cory's right. I need to tell him how I feel._

She got up to go to the bathroom and when she walked past Cory's room, she noticed that that Cory's bed had not been slept in. After she got out of the bathroom she went into the living room to see if Cory had left a note.

Lindsay stopped cold when she saw Cory and Danny asleep on the couch. They were lying on their side, spooning. Lindsay covered her mouth to stifle the giggles and quickly when back to the spare room to get her clothes. When she had finished dressing, she left the apartment as quietly as she could after leaving a note telling Cory that she had to go to work. _They're good for each other. Maybe I'll tease Messer about this later!!_

About an hour later, Danny began to wake up. As his consciousness moved from some very pleasant and erotic dreams he realized that he was holding someone in his arms. He opened his eyes and realized that it was Cory. _Damn. She feels so good in my arms._ Unconsciously he pulled her closer, breathing in the fruity smell of her hair. _I feel like I'm a peace for some reason. I guess everyone is right. Talking about your feelings helps._

Danny smiled a little and closed his eyes, content to go back to sleep and his pleasant dreams.

Cory began to stir about an hour later. The first thing she realized was that she had slept without the nightmare that had plagued her for seven years. With a start she realized that she had an arm draped over stomach and the hard evidence of a guy spooning her. _Oh my. What happened last night?_ She quickly went over the previous nights events in her head and realized that her and Danny had fallen asleep on the couch. _I should get up before he wakes up._

Cory moved a bit, trying to free herself without Danny waking up.

"Good morning, sunshine," Danny drawled.

"Oh. Good morning. I guess we kinda fell asleep last night." Cory tried to cover up her nervousness. _He has a sexy morning voice. Damn him!_

"I guess we did. Sorry that I kept you away from your bed. I really just meant to talk a while and then go back to the hospital."

"That's okay, Messer. You can go check on Flack." Cory got up and straightened her Dallas Cowboys jersey. "Do you want me to fix breakfast?"

"Nah. I'm just going to go home, grab a change of clothes and head to the hospital. You should check on Lindsay."

Cory's eyes widened. She had forgotten total that Lindsay was asleep in her spare room. "I guess I should check on her, it almost 9 and I think that she has to be a work at 10." Cory walked back to the spare bedroom and realized that Lindsay was gone. She had left a note on the bed. "Cory. I saw you and Danny asleep and didn't want to wake you. I'm going to work and I'll see you later. Linds."

Cory felt her cheeks flush as she realized what a compromising situation that Lindsay had seen her in. _Oh, shit. Now I'm going to be the butt of several jokes!_

Cory walked back into the living room. "Lindsay's all ready gone. She left a note. Sure you don't want that breakfast?"

Danny shrugged, confused. He wanted to spend more time with her, but Cory was being completely nonchalant. It was almost like what had happened didn't matter to her. "I'm sure. I'd better head home. See ya later, Feebie."

Cory saw Danny to the door and sighed in relief when he'd left. _Damn. I shouldn't have fallen asleep. I should have just gone to my room. What the hell was I thinking!!_

Cory's mind raced as she got ready for work. She was silently berating herself for getting into an awkward situation. _I should know better. After James and Bill, I should know not to put myself in that situation._

Her mental lecture continued until her phone rang. "Reid."

"Agent Reid, this is Agent Michaels. I'd like you to meet me in my office at 11 am. Are you free?"

"Yes, sir. I'll be there."

Cory hung up the phone, grabbed her laptop and left for the office. She arrived at the office at about 10:45. She set down her laptop and immediately went to Agent Michaels office.

He greeted her as she walked in. "Thank you for meeting me on such short notice."

"No problem."

"I called this meeting to let you know that you are no longer under investigation for being the mole. You've been cleared."

Cory smiled. "Thank you, sir. I knew that would happen. I want to catch this bastard so bad that I would never compromise the agency in that way."

"Glad to hear that. When I was going over the case, however, I was disturbed to discover that Ortiz seems to be obsessed with you. Are you sure it's a good idea to be anywhere near this case."

Cory grew serious at his statement. "I know. I've questioned it ever since I was put back on the case five years ago. But, the way I see it, if he is obsessed with me, he is more likely to make a mistake. He only has to make one and he's going down."

Agent Michaels nodded in agreement as she continued, "Honestly, Agent Michaels, I had expected to have this case closed by now. My coming to New York, knowing that it would set him on edge, was supposed to make him careless. Instead, I find that someone here is feeding him information, preventing me from taking him down."

Cory looked down at her hands, realizing that she was shaking in her anger. She took at deep breath and tried to lock her emotions away. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to go off on you like that."

"That's okay, Agent Reid. I understand the need to "vent" sometimes. As long as his obsession will not interfere with how you handle the case, I'll leave you on the case." Agent Michael stood up and Cory mimicked his movement. "I have another meeting so I'll see you out."

Cory parted ways with Agent Michaels and walked back to her desk. She was still struggling with her anger and decided to go to the firing range to work it out.

--

Lindsay walked into the hospital only to see Mac leaving. "How is he, Mac?"

Mac greeted her. "It's looking up. He's starting to respond to people in his room. Go up and see him. Even if he doesn't remember you being there, it's the thought that counts." Mac gave Lindsay a small smile, realizing that maybe this would bring the two closer together.

"Thanks, Mac. I'll do that."

Lindsay walked into Flacks room, her heart in her throat. She was the only one there. "Hey, Flack. It's Lindsay. I don't know if you can hear me or not…so I'll just talk. You scared me yesterday, Don. Absolutely, terrified. I thought I had lost you and…and I was lost. I know I've only been here for a short time, but I don't know when it happened. I fell for you…like a ton of bricks."

Lindsay picked up his hand, struggling with the emotions she was feeling. "Don…you have to get better. I want a chance to say all of this to you when you're awake and…" Lindsay trailed off when she felt Flack squeeze her hand. She looked up in shock. "Flack? Can you hear me?"

Flack's eyes fluttered open. "Hey." His voice was a little hoarse. "Can I have some water?"

Lindsay poured him some water and held the straw up to his lips. "Flack. I'm so glad that you're awake. Let me go get the doctor and tell him that you are awake."

Lindsay walked out of the room and got Flack's doctor. After the doctor examined him, he said, "You are one lucky man, Detective Flack. I'm not going to lie to you and say that you're recovery is going to happen overnight, but in a couple of months you should be back to you old self."

Lindsay looked at the doctor and murmured her thanks. She turned back to Flack and saw that he wanted to say something.

"What happened?"

Lindsay took a deep breath and started to fill Flack in on the previous day's events. When she was done, Flack was silent, just trying to take things in. "Wow. All of that happened in one day?" Lindsay nodded yes, a little unsure of herself, not knowing if Flack had heard what she had said before he had woken up. "So, Lindsay. You'd be lost without me around? Are you serious?"

Lindsay closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Yes." She looked him square in the eyes. "I don't know when it happened, Don…I really like you and when I thought you had died…I was lost."

Flack sat there in shock. He couldn't believe that she really had feelings for him. All of these months that he had watched Danny and her flirt he had never expected this. "Um. Linds. I don't quite know what to say…Other than I feel the same way. I've wanted to ask you out for months but I thought that you and Danny had a thing goin' on."

"Me. And Messer?" Lindsay asked incredulously. "He's like a brother to me. We're just kidding around. Besides, him and Cory have a thing for each other."

"Really?"

"Yeah. If you don't believe me wait until I tell you what happened this morning. So, I spent the night at Cory's...by the way you have her to thank for me telling you the truth. Anyway, I get up this morning and who is spooning on the couch?"

Flack opened his eyes wide. "Really?"

Lindsay laughed. "Yeah. He must have come by after I went to bed, cuz he wasn't there when I went to bed! You have to promise to tease him about this for me!!"

Flack laughed and then closed his eyes. Lindsay noticed this. "You're tired. I should let you go back to sleep." Lindsay left Flack in the room and made her way to the lab.

--

Cory decided that she needed to vent some of her anger, so she quickly headed down to the firing range. She loaded her 9mm Glock and set the target at 20 feet from her. She put on her glasses and ear protectors and took her stance. Glaring at the target, she slowly squeezed the trigger, taking careful aim. BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!! Quickly she fired three times, hitting the bull's-eye each time. She was about to fire again when her phone started to vibrate.

After putting her gun down and removing her ear protectors she answered the phone. "Reid. Hey Linds. What's up? He is? You did! Wow. That's great news. Okay. I'll call you later."

Cory hung up the phone with a smile on her face. She was relieved that Flack was on his way to recovering. She picked her gun back up and finished her clip.

After she was done at the range, she decided to go back to her office and look over some data for the case.

--

Several hours later, Cory stood up from behind her desk. She had worked until late in the evening, but she felt it was worth it since she had picked the target for the next raid. Gathering her things she decided to go home.

When she got home, Cory juggled her keys and the take-out Chinese that she had picked up on her way. She walked up to her apartment, muttering to herself about the stupidity of trying to carry more than she could when she noticed an envelope addressed to her on her welcome mat.

She dropped her things inside and went back to the door and picked up the envelope. Closing the door she opened it. Two photographs fell out. She picked them up and looked at them, the blood draining out of her face.

The photos were of Danny; one of him coming in to her apartment the previous night and the other of him leaving this morning. Cory looked at the piece of paper that had fallen unnoticed onto the floor. It was typewritten and said, "You're mine, bitch. Don't forget it."

Shaking, Cory sank to the floor, tears running down her face.

* * *

**A/N:** _OK. So don't kill me please? I know it's a cliffhanger, but really this was the best place to stop the chapter! _

_tylerhiltongroupie53-i glad you still like the story...i will update soon...i try to keep myself ahead by 3 chapters so that way i can keep updating._

_chili-peppers-the wait is over...and you rock! all my reviewers rock! luv y'all_

_kasmith101-glad you like it! did you read it in all one sitting? if so, wow!_

_pnkrckprncss-don't worry about not reviewing...i understand about exams (mine were the 1st of may)...glad you were still keeping up with the story...more about cory here too!_

_screaming-poetically-i just see flack as a player so i wrote him a little like that (plus, it's just Cory's perception of him-she has major issues!)...glad you liked her rambling!_


	10. Distance

**Disclaimer: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Here you go….So this chapter is a little dark and is still a little of a cliffhanger, but not as bad as last chapter. My muse decided that it was getting too fluffy for her so expect the next couple of chapters to be equally dark!! Please, Please, Please review and let me know what you think!_

Chapter 10.

**Distance**

Cory sat on the floor for two hours before she got herself back together. She left the pictures and the note on the floor and went into the bathroom to wash her face with cold water. _Why does he do this to me? Why?!_ Her mind shut down.

After she finished washing her face, she went back to the entry hall and picked up the pictures and notes and put them into a plastic bag. She put the bag into her purse and left her apartment to go to the lab.

--

Mac looked up when Cory entered his office. "What are you doing here? Was there a break in the Ortiz case?"

Cory nodded no somberly. "I need a favor."

Mac looked at her with questions in his eyes. "Okay. As long as it's nothing illegal."

Cory took a deep breath. "It's nothing illegal, just something I don't like to think about." Cory withdrew the plastic bag from her purse. She held it nervously. "I guess I should let you know a little more about why I'm on this case. Ortiz is obsessed with me. To the point of stalking, even though I can't prove it. I think that the reason I haven't been able to prove it is because of the mole in the agency. I want you to test this for me." She handed over the bag to Mac.

Mac gestured to take this to the lab. Cory stopped him. "I don't want anyone else to know about this. This isn't something I like to think about, much less admit to anyone."

Mac nodded his head in agreement. "I can see that. We'll go to a lab that is empty and keep everyone out."

That coaxed a small smile out of Cory. "Thanks, Mac."

Mac and Cory walked into an empty lab. Mac put on gloves and opened the bag. "Did you handle this without gloves?"

"Yeah. I didn't even think about it when I saw it. It's been so long since he's left anything for me and I'd forgotten about him doing that."

Mac looked at the pictures. "This is Danny?"

Cory nodded. "He came by last night to talk with Lindsay and me. We fell asleep and he left again this morning. This was on my welcome mat when I got home."

Mac nodded and pulled out the fingerprinting powder. Quickly he dusted the pictures for prints and lifted a couple. Then he ran a cotton swab on the pictures and note for DNA comparison.

He moved to a scanner and scanned in the prints he had lifted. Quickly he ran them through AFIS. All the prints came back to match Cory. Cory sighed in frustration. She knew Ortiz well enough to think that he would be as careless as to leave fingerprints on anything he sent to her, but she had hoped that he'd made a mistake.

Mac looked at her. "Don't worry. If there's something to find we'll find it. What about this note? What does he mean that you are his?"

"In his twisted brain he believes that I belong to him. It used to be worse. He had started to threaten anyone I was seen with, so I stopped dating. The pictures and notes stopped showing up. What bugs me is that he is obviously still keeping an eye on me. I'm not even dating Danny!"

"Appearances. Danny shows up at your apartment in the early hours of the morning and doesn't leave until after sunrise? Sounds like he's doing more than keeping an eye on you. He is stalking you."

"I know. But I can't prove it!!"

"Look. I'll run the swabs for DNA and see if I can get something on it. That's going to take a while, so why don't you go home? You look like you could use the sleep."

Cory rolled her eyes a little. He sounded like her dad. "Yes, Mac. I'll go home, but I can't promise to sleep. All I can promise is to try." Cory turned to leave. "Oh and Mac? Thanks."

Cory went home and went to bed immediately. She lay in bed, unable to sleep for several hours before finally drifting off.

_Cory and Danny were sitting at a restaurant. Their first date. Cory was unexpectedly happy to finally admit her feelings for Danny. She had finally broken down and at Lindsay's urging had accepted his offer for dinner. They were at a little Italian restaurant in Little Italy eating cannoli and drinking espresso. _

_Suddenly a gunshot rang out through the night and Cory watched in horror as a hole appeared in Danny's head. She looked down at herself and realized that she was covered in blood. "Oh, God. Danny!! Danny!! No!!" Cory drew Danny's cooling body to hers, sobbing openly. She jumped in surprise as a hard hand clapped down on her shoulder, dragging her away. She looked up. Carlos Ortiz._

"_You should have heeded the warning, bitch. I told you that you were mine and no one else would be able to touch you," he snarled. "It's your fault that he's dead. Him and everyone else."_

_Ortiz dragged her to a waiting car and once inside he started tearing at her clothes._

With a start, Cory woke up screaming. As she clamored awake, she realized that it was just a nightmare and tried to slow her rapidly beating heart. She drew her knees up to her chest and laid her forehead on them, trying to focus.

_I know what I have to do. I have to push Danny away. I can't let him get close to me. Everyone who does ends up dead. I'm just going to have to…I have no choice._

Cory looked at the clock and realized it was 5 am. Shrugging her shoulders she got out of bed, knowing that she would not go back to sleep. She went into her living room, deciding to listen to some music and read. She went to her CD collection and selected the soundtrack to _XXX_. As Rammstein came over the speakers, she picked up a new book by Mercedes Lackey and settled down to read.

As the morning light began to filter into the living room, Cory lifted her bleary eyes. With a sigh she started to get ready for work.

--

Cory walked into the building, tired and cranky. She was not in the mood to put up with anyone's attitudes today. So when Andrew began to tease her, like normal, she snapped at him.

Grumbling she walked into her office, muttering under her breath about the general rudeness of New Yorkers. The logical side of her brain protested at this, but the rest of her brain ignored the protests. Needless to say, she'd had better days and it was only 9am.

After she logged on to her computer and brought up her email, she noticed an email from Travis. He was requesting a meeting with her. She replied back that yes she could meet with him for a business lunch and starting pulling up all her files on Ortiz.

It was almost lunchtime and Cory felt like she had actually accomplished something. She had remembered about the Martinez brothers being involved in owning the warehouse where the slaves were kept. She had requested the files from Lydia, who was the SAIC.

There was a knock at her door. She looked up. "Hi, Lydia. Are those the Martinez files?"

Lydia nodded her head. "Yes. This is all of the info I've collected on them in the last year. What do you need it for?"

Cory gestured for Lydia to sit down. "I was investigating a human slave ring with the NYPD recently; the girls identified members of Mala Suerte as the men who kept them captive. The NYPD asked me to try to track the ownership of the warehouse where the girls were kept. It turns out it was owned by the Martinez brothers."

"Really? I haven't really looked into all of their property ownerships yet. I've been concentrating on the businesses. If there wasn't an active business there, it was off my radar."

"Well, you might want to put those back on your radar. I know I have. Hopefully these files will give me what I need to nail Ortiz. If I can tie him to the warehouse, I can bring him down for the kidnapping of those girls. Then give me five minutes with him and I'll break him down to finally put him away" Cory said with a lot of force.

"Whoa. Back down girl. You'll get him. Listen. I've got to go, just get me the files back as soon as possible."

"Thanks, Lydia. I'm sorry for being so grumpy!"

"See ya later, Cory."

As Lydia walked out of her office, Travis walked in. "You ready for lunch?"

"Let me grab my coat."

Cory and Travis walked to a nearby café for lunch. "So, Travis. What did you want to talk about?"

"I have some ideas for our next target. I think it should be Mi Casa."

"That's the restaurant where most of the top members hang out. Do we have evidence to connect it to anything?"

"Not much, but there has been some drug activity recently. I'm hoping that it will be enough for the judge to sign the warrant." Travis broke off when the waitress came up to take their orders. Once she was done, Travis picked up where he left off. "So, I'm going to Judge Davis tomorrow to see if he'll sign the warrant."

"Are you sure we have what we need? There have been no indications with the data that there is significant illegal activity there." Cory paused, unsure of how to say what she meant. "If we hit this and there is nothing there, it's only going to tip the scales to Ortiz. He's just going to get craftier and harder to track. We really need to make sure that we are making the right moves."

"Cory. I see your point, but I have a gut feeling. I know this is the right thing to do."

"Fine, Travis. You have the ultimate authority on it anyway. But for the record, I'm not happy with this plan."

Both became silent when the waitress brought their food out. Silently, they finished lunch and went back to the office.

--

In a non-descript apartment in Spanish Harlem, a meeting wasn't going to well.

"Amigo. Where's the merchandise?" A shady looking Hispanic man was looking at a younger gentleman. "You know we have to get all of the merchandise to Ortiz or it's our heads."

"I know, De La Cruz. But…" The younger man trailed off at the glare from the other man.

"But, nothing. Get the merchandise."

With obvious reluctance, the younger man went into the bathroom. When he came out, he was covered in blood, with bloody capsules in one hand. "Here. All the merchandise, except for the one that burst. What do we do about the mess?"

The older man looked at him. "_¿es usted estúpido?_ We get rid of the evidence that we were here! Make sure it's done." With that, De La Cruz started to leave the apartment. "Oh and Valdez?" He waited to make sure he had the younger man's attention. "If you get caught, you never heard of me. I was never here. Remember what happened to your brother."

The young man nodded and turned to started to erase the trace that the two men were there. He went into the bathroom, looked at the dead woman in the bathtub and tried not to be sick. It was the first time he had killed someone. He hadn't expected it to be so messy.

He wiped all of the surfaces that he had touched down with a clean towel. With that done, he picked up the knife he had used to cut open her stomach and left the apartment. Four blocks away, he stopped behind an office building where he had left some clean clothes. After he changed, he dumped his clothes, the towel and the knife in a dumpster behind the office building and began the long walk home, not realizing that he had not fully cleaned the apartment like he was told or that someone had seen him leave.

--

Unfortunately for the nervous man, he had not been thorough enough. In an adjacent apartment, an old woman had heard the men come into the apartment in the early evening. She knew that the apartment was vacant so her curiosity got the best of her. She put her ear up to the paper thin wall, but with her hearing as bad as it was, was unable to make out the words.

She heard the door open and made her own way to the door to look out the peephole. She was too late to see anything, but her patience was rewarded when a few minutes later a young man came out of the apartment, covered in blood.

With a gasp she made her way to the phone and dialed 911.

* * *

_screaming-poetically--thank you! coming from the uber fm radio author that has got to be a great compliment! i actually feel a little sorry for danny...my muse is being so mean to him right now!_

_kasmith101-normally i'm a D/L'er too...that's orginally how the story started but my muse had other ideas! i'm glad you had the free time to read it all at once! i do post every 2-3 days so the wait shouldn't be too long._

_tylerhiltongroupie53-i totally agree. danny is a major player! i do what i can do with the fm radio! let's just say you'll see a lot more happy fm radio than you will Danny-Cory for a while._

_chili-peppers-are you welsh? if so, what's welsh for thank you? (merci beaucoup!-i can say it in french!)_

_pnkrckprncss-my heart sank as i wrote it and i have at least an idea of what's going to happen! i can't imagine what y'all were thinking! all i know is my best friend (who is also my beta) called me a b--h when she read it, cuz she had to wait 4 days for the next chapter!_


	11. Pushing Away

**Disclaimer: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Please, Please, Please review and let me know what you think!_

Chapter 11.

**Pushing Away**

Danny and Lindsay were the two CSI's that responded to the scene at about 10pm. As they walked into the bathroom and saw the amount of blood both of the gasped in surprise. "Jeez's Montana. This is a blood bath."

Detective Kaile Maka walked in at that comment. "So our witness says that she heard people in the apartment at about 6pm. She couldn't here what they were saying; she said she has bad hearing. She heard the door open and someone walked out. She stayed at her door, looking out the peephole when the second suspect walked out, carry a bloody towel and he was covered in blood. That's when she called it in."

Lindsay had been looking around the apartment and saw no weapon of any kind. "He must have taken the knife with him."

Danny got a twinkle in his eye. "Well, Montana. I'll take the inside, if you'll dumpster dive."

Lindsay looked at him exasperated. "Why me?"

"I have rank on you." Danny laughed as she left the apartment grumbling under her breath about how she wanted someone else to be the new person for once. Danny looked up at the enormity of evidence that he had to collect and realized that he'd just given Lindsay the easier job. _Damn. I didn't think about that!_ He just shook his head and began to process.

Lindsay, meanwhile, went outside and noticed a faint blood trail. With a uniformed officer following her, she started to follow the trail. Four blocks later, she made a turn into a dark alley. She lost the trail at that point.

Seeing the dumpster behind the building she walked over to it. Gingerly climbing up to the top, she tried to breath through her mouth to keep from getting sick at the disgusting smell. As she raised the lid, she noticed a flash of white out of the corner of her eye.

She looked and found what she was seeking. Reaching into the dumpster, she pulled out a bloodied shirt, followed by a pair of pants. She dug a little further and found a white towel that was wrapped around something. She opened the towel gently and there in the middle was a gleaming knife.

She bagged all the evidence and motioned for the office to come and hold it. She then took out her print dust and began to dust the dumpster for any fingerprints, especially on the side where the clothes were found.

She successfully lifted half a dozen prints, which she put in her kit to take back to the lab. She gathered the evidence from the officer and proceeded to walk back to the apartment.

Danny, meanwhile, had collected samples from all the blood pools. The coroner had come to remove the body and he took samples from all of the matter lying beneath the dead woman. He then walked around the apartment, making sure he had bagged all possible evidence.

He had just finished and was putting his kit back into the SUV when Lindsay walked up. She had an excited twinkle in her eyes. "I found where the killer dumped his things. Office building about four blocks from here. I got some prints from the dumpster. What about you?"

Danny shook his head. "No prints, but a lot of biologicals. The DNA lab it going to hate me after tonight." Lindsay cocked her head in a silent question. Seeing this Danny responded. "I bagged over 100 different samples from different pools of blood."

Lindsay's eyes widened. "Wow. You are definitely going to be unpopular for a while. Let's get back to the lab." With that, Danny and Lindsay got into the SUV to leave.

--

Danny and Lindsay walked into the morgue, after they had dropped off their evidence. "Hey, Marty. What can ya tell me?"

The young medical examiner looked at Danny. "This wound is not the COD."

Lindsay looked startled. "It's not? What is the COD?"

"Without having the results back from the tests I took, I would say a drug overdose." Marty shined a light on the body. "See these wounds? Her stomach was cut open, rather crudely. Whoever made the incision did not know what they were doing. I'm guessing she was a drug mule and a capsule burst, resulting in her death before she could ummm…" Marty trailed off, not knowing how to say what should have happened politely.

Lindsay smiled a bit at his discomfort. "I think we get the drift, Marty. Just get us the results of the Tox screen ASAP."

Danny and Lindsay walked back up to the lab. Lindsay decided to start with the fingerprints. She began scanning them all in and then ran them through AFIS. Almost immediately there was hit in the computer.

Danny looked over Lindsay's shoulder and saw the name that popped up. "Jesse Valdez. Should have known that Mala Suerte was connected to this. We'd better call Cory."

--

Cory was lying in her bed, asleep and obviously having a nightmare. "James, no!! James!!" She screamed herself awake and then shook her head realizing that the old nightmare was back. She got up to get a glass of water and was half-way to the kitchen when she heard her cell phone ring. Glancing at the caller ID she realized it was Danny.

"Reid." Cory winced as she put more force in to her greeting than she normally did.

"_Cory. It's Danny."_

"Whadda ya want, Messer?"

Danny was a little take back by the uncharacteristic rudeness in Cory's voice. _"It's about Mala Suerte and what the hell is wrong with you?"_

"There's nothing wrong with me," Cory lied. "What's going with Mala Suerte now?"

"_Montana and I were called to the scene of a gruesome murder earlier today and the prints lead back to Jesse Valdez. I thought you might want to know."_

"Okay. Thanks. Is there anything you need me to do?" Cory was trying as hard as she could to push Danny away so she could protect him and herself.

"_Don't you want to come down to the lab and see the evidence? I mean, we might be able to help you get closer to catching Ortiz."_

Cory drew a breath knowing that what she was about to say would be hard for her. "No. I trust you. I think I need to back away from the minor cases and focus on Ortiz himself. I just don't see how you could help me, Messer. Good-night." Cory hung up her phone, not trusting her to talk anymore without breaking down.

Back in the lab, Danny just stared at the phone in shock. "She just hung up on me!! She was rude and frigid and hung up on me!"

Lindsay looked at Danny to make sure that she had heard him right. "So is she coming to the lab?"

Danny shook his head no. "She said that she doesn't need to work with us. Montana, what's goin' on?"

Lindsay shrugged. "I'm not sure. It doesn't sound like her. Something must have happened. Let me go over to her apartment and see if I can find anything out."

As Lindsay walked out the door, Danny called out, "Good luck!"

--

Lindsay knocked on Cory's door until Cory opened. She pushed her way into her apartment. "What the hell is wrong with you?! Why were you so rude to Danny? He's just trying to help you with the case."

Cory blinked, trying to catch up with what Lindsay was saying. "What?"

Lindsay rolled her eyes. "Come on Cory. You hung up on him!"

"Oh. That. Honestly, Danny and I talked that night he came over." Lindsay tried to look innocent, like she hadn't seen anything. Cory didn't buy it. "Don't try to deny that you didn't see us asleep on the couch. We talked for a long time that night. He told me about his background. I just can't deal with that right now. I'm trying to push him away."

"Cory. Danny's out of that life. He's a good man. He's not like Ortiz."

Cory shrugged. "I know. It's just that…I don't date. I don't want to date and I saw that in his eyes when we woke up. I figured that it would be better to push him away now so that he won't expect more from me."

Lindsay looked at her. "Cory. If you don't want to date him, that's fine. But there's no need to completely be a bitch. Come on. Come down to the lab and see if by some miracle we can catch Jesse Valdez for this murder and tie him to someone up higher."

"Fine. I'll come down. But I can't promise that I won't be a bitch. Messer kinda brings that out it me."

Lindsay laughed. "He has that effect on everyone."

Cory remembered something. "So did you talk to Flack?"

Lindsay blushed. "Yeah. We talked and you were right. He likes me. Once he gets well again, we're going out."

Cory looked smug. "I told you so. Let me go get dressed and I'll come down to the lab."

--

Cory and Lindsay walked into the lab, where Danny was, laughing. Danny looked up in surprise. _She's here and she's laughing? What's up with that?_

Cory tried to act nonchalant. "What do we have?"

Danny decided to ignore the way Cory was acting. "One dead woman found in a bathtub." Danny put the photos of the crime scene on the table.

Cory looked at them as her stomach turned. "What else?"

Danny continued. "The M.E. said that she died of a drug overdose, heroin most likely, and then her stomach was cut open after death."

Cory nodded. "So she was a drug mule. How does this pertain to Mala Suerte and Jesse Valdez?"

Lindsay picked up the story. "I found bloody clothes and the knife in a dumpster four blocks away. The dumpster had Valdez's prints on it. The theory is that Valdez got the drugs out of her after she OD'd. The witness heard two men in the apartment. Absolutely no evidence to connect a second person to the crime."

Cory looked like she was deep in thought. "Do we know who the girl is?"

Danny shook his head. "As far as we can tell, she is not from here. She probably took a flight from Mexico to here. She would have had to ingest the drugs in a relatively short time before her flight."

Cory shook her head in disgust. She had seen more of these women that she liked to admit to. "Don't they ever learn? Swallowing drugs for money. If they make it once they are lucky."

Cory was still shaking her head in disgust when Mac poked his head into the lab. "Cory? Can I see you in my office, please?"

Cory nodded her head and followed Mac. "What's going on, Mac?"

"I figured you'd like the results of the DNA test in private."

"You're done already?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes. There wasn't any trace on it." Mac saw how disappointed Cory was. "Look. Just be careful. This isn't the first time that you've an indication that you were being followed. Just take precautions."

--

Danny looked at Lindsay. "Montana? What's up with Cory? She completely rude to me and she walks in here laughing with you? What did I do to piss her off?"

Lindsay thought for a moment, trying to decide what to reveal to him. "Look, Danny. She's just had a hard couple of days. Just give her some space and maybe that'll help. In the meantime we need to finish processing this evidence so that when Maka finds Valdez we can nail him."

Danny and Lindsay continued to work in silence until Cory came back. Lindsay looked at Cory and saw that she was somber. "Cory, you okay?"

"I'm fine, Linds. I just need a couple of days off to try to recharge. By the way, if you're looking for Valdez, try Mi Casa. It's a restaurant that a lot of the Mala Suerte hang out at. You might tell Flack…" She trailed off at her force of habit to think that Flack was there. "Sorry. You might want to tell whoever…"

Lindsay interrupted her. "It's Detective Maka."

"Ok. You might want to tell Detective Maka to start there. If you don't need anything else?" Both shook their heads no. "Then, I'm going home."

* * *

_chili-peppers-i'm glad you still love it and Diolch!_

_screaming-poetically-i'm glad you love the danny-cory angst! my muse is being mean to him right now. more insight is coming into her past probably around chapter17 or 18._

_pnkrckprncss-i hate waiting for cliffhanger chapter's too...that's one reason i have them written in advance...so y'all don't have to wait very long! i'm sorry you didn't get a lot of sleep but i'll glad you made it a priority to read!_

_kasmith101-i'm glad you like the angst between them (it's so fun to write!) but it will be a while before anything major happens between them (my muse is teasing y'all right now...i have no clue what chappie will see them actually let down their guard)_

_axellia-don't worry about the lateness! i figured that you were in transit back home! i wish i had been at the airport with you (sigh's dreamily--i have a huge thing for men in uniform!)...i actually don't know yet if he's going to get hurt (my muse is not letting me know that yet-all i can tell you for sure is that he doen't not get physically hurt up to chapter 14)...i know is really angsty right now but chapter 13 should help break that up...i'm so glad that you still love it! btw-i am feeling much better now (i actually called in sick to work, but didn't write that day b/c i was sleeping!)_


	12. Pain

**Disclaimer: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Please, Please, Please review and let me know what you think!_

Chapter 12.

**Pain**

Cory woke up the next morning with a faint headache. In her mind she could still see the pictures of the woman who had been brutally cut up. She was still feeling the affect that the stress that the previous couple of days had put on her.

As she was brushing her teeth, she heard her cell phone ring. Quickly she spit out the foam and answered her phone. "Reid."

"_Cory. It's Danny. Detective Maka found Valdez and she's bringing him in for questioning. Do you want to join us?"_

Cory thought about it for a moment and realized how much she wanted to question Valdez herself, but couldn't. She would have to be content with watching the interrogation. "Sure. Give me thirty minutes to get there."

--

Cory walked up to the interrogation room, holding a cup of Starbucks coffee in her hand. Lindsay was waiting outside for her. "You're drinking coffee? I've never seen you drink coffee before."

Cory nodded her head. "I don't normally, but it's been a rough couple of days and honestly…I need the pick me up." Cory looked through the two way glass and saw Danny and a beautiful Asian woman interrogating Valdez. "Is that Detective Maka?"

"Yeah. She's temporarily assigned to our team until Flack recovers." Lindsay turned her attention back to the interrogation. Cory took the hint and also turned to watch.

"So, Mr. Valdez. Do you know why you're here?" Detective Maka started.

Valdez chose to answer cockily. "All I know that that your fine ass showed up on my doorstep. Baby, I'd follow you everywhere." Detective Maka rolled her eyes.

"Hey! Scumbag." Danny tried to deflect the man's attention to him. "You ain't here to hit on the Detective. 'Sides, she's so far out of your league you couldn't get her in a dream."

Detective Mata looked gratefully at Danny at that comment. She continued, "You're here because you're prints were found on a dumpster where some bloody clothes were found."

Danny put a photo of the dead woman on the table. "Have you ever seen this woman?"

Valdez looked at the photo. "Naw, man. I've never ever seen her."

Danny looked at the man. "Then how you explain your prints on the dumpster where the knife that was used to cut her up was found?"

"I don't know, man. Where was the dumpster at?" Danny gave him the location. "My homies and I were hanging there. I used it to throw away my McDonald's bag."

Danny seethed silently. Valdez knew exactly what to say to keep from incriminating himself. Valdez kept smiling, cockily. "So can I go, now?" Valdez started to get up.

Danny abruptly pushed him back down. "Not so fast slick. See this piece of paper in my hand? It gives me the right to take a DNA sample. So open up." Danny held out a cotton swab. Valdez reluctantly opened his mouth and Danny took the sample.

Detective Mata focused her attention on Valdez. "You can go, but Valdez? Don't leave town."

With that, Valdez sauntered out of the interrogation room.

Danny and Detective Mata walked out of the interrogation room after Valdez walked out. Danny saw that Lindsay and Cory had been watching the interview. "So, whadda think?"

Cory looked at Lindsay. "He definitely knows something. I saw a flash of recognition in his eyes when you showed him the picture, Messer." Lindsay nodded her assent. "I'd be willing to bet money that he was there. I don't know if he's the one who cut her up, but he was definitely there."

Danny looked at Cory, seeing the look of a hunter in her eyes. _I wonder if she knows how sexy that look is?_

Cory continued, ignoring the look of lust in Danny's eyes. "Call me when you get the results of the DNA test. I have to get to work." Cory turned and walked down the hall to leave.

Detective Maka looked confused. She had not missed the look that Danny had given the unknown woman. "Excuse me? Who was that?"

Lindsay was the one that answered her, seeing that Danny was still occupied watching Cory leave. "Special Agent Corrine Reid from the FBI. She's the agent in charge of trying to bring down Mala Suerte. She's been our consultant on a number of cases connected to Mala Suerte. With the information that she has, she's been able to help us catch a number of criminals."

Detective Maka looked at Lindsay. "Oh. So I take it if a case involves Mala Suerte, she'll be involved."

"Yeah. She's an important source of information regarding the gangs' doings." Danny broke out of his trance long enough to answer Maka's question. "I'd better get this to the DNA lab so we can run the comparison and see if in fact it was Valdez's clothes that we found."

Danny and Lindsay left to go to the lab.

--

Cory walked into the FBI building a little more cheerful than the previous day. She saw Andrew and he made a point not to tease her. "Hey, Andrew. Sorry about yesterday. I was just in a bad mood and I took it out on you. I'm sorry."

"That's okay, Agent Reid. I kinda figured that you'd had a bad day."

Cory had a smile on her face when she walked into her office. Her office phone rang as soon as she entered. "Reid."

"_Cory. It's Travis. I want to set up a meeting with Liz and Byron today so we can decide when to hit Mi Casa."_

"Ok. When?"

"_3 o'clock. My office."_

"I'll be there." Cory rubbed her eyes as she put down the phone. _Damn. I really don't think this raid is a good idea. It feels like a set up. There is just not enough evidence to warrant the raid. I have more than enough evidence to raid three other locations! Why is Travis ignoring my advice?_

--

Promptly at three p.m. Liz, Byron, Travis and Cory were sitting in Travis's office. Travis was the first to begin talking. "We're here because I believe it's time to raid Mi Casa. The level of potential drug trafficking has increased in the last couple of months and this should be what we need to knock out the base of the pyramid."

Liz looked up in surprise. "I thought we didn't have significant evidence to prove the trafficking charges."

"We don't have a lot of evidence, but we have enough that the judge is willing to sign the warrant."

Cory spoke up. "Travis, I still think this is a bad idea. I feel like Ortiz is trying to set us up. If we screw up here, we could set ourselves back months in the investigation."

Liz nodded her assent. "I agree. It's too risky. What do you thing Byron?"

Bryon had been listening quietly. "Travis has a good point. If Mala Suerte is vulnerable right now, it's a good risk. This could be the one thing we need to bring them down."

Cory shook her head. "Ok. We're at an impasse. Travis and Byron want to raid Mi Case and Liz and I are against it. Travis, you have the final decision. Whadda want to do?"

Travis thought for a long time and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Cory. I know you are against it, but I just have a feeling that this might be a big thing. I can't ignore it. We will raid Mi Casa tomorrow."

Cory let her face become devoid of emotion as she placed some folders on the table. "Fine. It's your decision, but you might want to look over these files. We have significant evidence to raid all of these locations." Cory stood up and walked out of the office. As she walked back to her office, she muttered in her head about the stupidity of the decision that was just made. _Maybe I'm being too cautious. Maybe Travis is right. He does have more experience than me and that's the reason he is my supervisor. He's worked hundreds of gang cases over his twenty-nine year career. I think I'm just to close to the case. I need a vacation._

By the time she had finished her mental soliloquy, she had reached her office. With a sigh Cory sat down at her desk and grabbed a Dr. Pepper from her mini-fridge. She pulled out her purse and got some ibuprofen.

Just as she had swallowed the pain medicine, Cory's cell phone rang. "Reid."

"_Hey, Cory. It's Lindsay. I thought you might want to know that we got the DNA results back. It's a match to Valdez. The clothes I found are definitely his clothes, covered in the victim's blood. Detective Maka is bringing him back in, in cuffs this time."_

Cory smiled a little at that. "That's great news, Linds."

"_The only problem is that we know there was more than one person at that apartment. Someone else was there when that woman died. There is just no evidence to prove it. The only evidence in the apartment points to Valdez. Yet we have an eyewitness that puts a second person there. It's just frustrating."_

"See if you can get Valdez to talk. If he does, you can widen the investigation," Cory advised.

"_I know. I just don't know if we'll be able to get him to talk. Judging by past interrogations, he's smart. If there was someone else there and the person is higher up in the gang, we'll never get them." _

Cory understood. She'd had that feeling when she had interrogated some of the lower level members of the gang. "You won't know unless you try, Linds. There has to be a breaking point somewhere."

"_Thanks. I'd better go. Do you want to have drinks tomorrow?"_

"I'd like that. I may be a little late, but it sounds like fun. Where do you want to meet?"

"_We can go to Ray's."_

"Okay. See ya there. I should be there by midnight. Bye." Cory hung up the phone, knowing that Lindsay was feeling very frustrated. She was frustrated herself. She decided to go home have some wine and try to forget about her day.

--

It was late when Cory arrived at the preparation area for the raid. They had to wait until the restaurant closed in order make their raid. Cory stood outside the van. She had already put on her bulletproof vest and was busy checking her gun to make sure it was ok. "Travis. Are you still sure about this? I still say this is a trap."

Travis nodded his head in frustration. "I have heard your concerns, Agent Reid. I've made the correct decision." Travis's voice left no room for negotiation.

"Fine. I'm ready when you are."

Travis made sure that everyone was ready and signaled for the plan to go into motion. In a well trained effort the squad surrounded the now closed restaurant. Travis and Liz were in the lead, with Cory and Byron right behind them.

As the team broke down the door, Travis yelled "FBI!" The four people entered in the standard flanking procedure. There was no one in sight. The building was empty.

Cory looked around in confusion. "What the hell is goin' on? Where is everyone?" She shook her head in disbelief.

Travis also looked stunned. "I don't understand it. There are always people here this late. This place just closed. How could everyone had left without us seeing it?"

Cory was seething silently. _Damn it!! When will Travis learn to listen to me!! I knew this was a setup, but no…he won't listen!_ Cory just shook her head as she walked out of the building. She knew that if she tried to talk right now she would say something that she would regret.

As she walked out side, she felt her cell phone vibrate. She looked at the caller ID and realized that it was Lindsay. "Reid." She tried to be calm when she answered the phone, but some of her frustration seeped through.

"_Cory? It's Lindsay. You okay?"_

"I'm fine. What's goin' on?"

"_Are we still going for drinks?"_

"Aw, hell. I forgot. Linds? I really need to go to the gym and work off some steam. Wanna join me?"

"_Sure. Where?"_

Cory gave Lindsay the location of her gym and told her that she would meet her there in thirty minutes. She removed her gear and called out to Travis, "I'm going home!"

Travis waved bye, knowing that she was going to blow off some steam.

--

Lindsay got to the gym before Cory. She waited outside for a few minutes then saw Cory walk up. "Sorry I'm late. I forgot that traffic is bad all the time here."

Both women walked into the surprisingly low key gym. Cory led Lindsay to the locker room where both women changed into work out clothes. When the woman walked out, Cory immediately went to the punching bag and started throwing punches.

Lindsay looked at Cory, aggressively attacking the bag. "Someone I know?"

Cory looked up. "Naw. It was just a bad day at work." She paused from punching for a second. "You know. Mac gave me some advice a while back. He told me to always follow the evidence. That the evidence would never lead me astray. So I've been doing that."

She paused again and punched the bag a couple of more times. "I went back over all the evidence in the Ortiz case. I identified three different targets…" She punched the bag a couple of more times, with more force. "But do we go after the targets, I picked? No. My supervisor goes with a completely different target and what do we find?" Cory attacked the bag with more force. "Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch!! A waste of three months worth of work down the drain."

Cory continued to take out her frustration on the bag. She didn't stop until she was exhausted and dripping with sweat.

Lindsay looked at her new friend. "Are you sure you're okay? I've never seen you this upset before."

"I'll be fine. That's why I said to come here. I needed to work off the steam." Cory smiled tiredly.

Lindsay returned the smile as she walked over to the treadmill. "Glad I could help! Now let's go run on the treadmill…My legs could use come work."

The two women continued to work out, slowly draining the stress of the day from their bodies.

* * *

screaming-poetically- i'm glad you loved the chappie! the rank was was really talking about was seniority...i'm so glad that you like cory now! (blushing) i'm a favorite author?

_chili-peppers-i'm glad you like the plot...it's been churning around in my head for a while now!_

_axellia-i know...my muse is beingvery mean...but sometime in the future they will be happy (shaking my fist at my muse in defiance!) hope you like this one as well!_

_bluenose-glad you delurked! i love new reviewers...y'all really make my day!_


	13. Welcome Home

**Disclaimer: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ I finally had a long discussion with my muse and convinced her to lighten up for a bit!! So…Here's some much needed fluff after the angst of the last couple of chapters!! Please, Please, Please review and let me know what you think!_

Chapter 13.

**Welcome Home**

It had been six weeks since the failed attempt to raid Mi Casa. As Cory had predicted, the investigation had gone backwards. Not only was there no evidence of any illegal activity going on in the restaurant, but the judge that issued the warrant was now extremely upset and refusing to sign any more warrants, even one with substantial evidence backing up the request.

Cory still seethed in frustration, working out almost every day to relieve the stress. Over the previous six weeks she and Lindsay had grown a lot closer and Cory was beginning to see Lindsay as her best friend.

As it so happened the previous Friday, when they were having drinks with Stella, Lindsay mentioned the fact that Flack was going to be coming home the following week. Lindsay had mentioned that she was so happy that they could official begin to "date", as if they hadn't been doing that already since she frequently went to the hospital for dinner and a movie. She decided that they needed to have a welcome home celebration for Flack.

It was decided that Danny, Hawkes and Mac would pick Flack up from the hospital while Stella, Lindsay and Cory got his apartment ready.

The three women decided to plan ahead and the night before he was released they went to his apartment to clean and air it out. When Cory got to the apartment, she waited outside for Lindsay and Stella. The two showed up within moments of Cory's arrival.

Cory thought for a moment. "How are we going to get in?"

Lindsay held up a set of keys. "I borrowed these from Danny. He's supposed to come and pack a bag for Don later tonight."

Both Stella and Cory giggled at that. Stella was still laughing when she said, "Do you mean that Flack didn't want you to pack one for you?"

Lindsay blushed at the thought. "Um…not quite ready for that yet!" She turned and unlocked the door.

When Cory walked in she wrinkled her nose at the musty smell of the apartment. She carried in a box that the other women kept looking at in confusion. Finally Lindsay couldn't stand the suspense any longer and asked, "What is in the box?"

Cory looked around quickly and saw Stella looking at her expectantly. "Um…cleaning supplies and whatnot." She tried to evade the question.

Stella was persistent. "What do you mean whatnot?"

Cory gave in. "Plants. I have some plants, too." She pulled the plants out of the box. One was easily recognizable as an Aloe Vera, but both women looked at the other plant in confusion. Seeing the looks on there faces, Cory said, "It's an _Euphorbia trigona_. An African Milk Tree Cactus. It's a succulent so it can stand the haphazard care that Flack is likely to give it. Same thing goes for the aloe. They are the perfect plants for a bachelor."

Both of the other women were stunned. "Plants?" Lindsay asked incredulously. "Why?"

Cory rolled her eyes. "It will bring a bit of life to the apartment. I know that he will still have to go to physical therapy for a couple of weeks before he gets back to work, so I wanted to give him something to do. Besides, the aloe will also help to minimize and reduce the scars he'll have after the surgery. That's why I brought a huge pot of it."

"Ok." Lindsay just looked at Stella, a little confused.

"Look," Cory said. "We need to start cleaning. I'll tell you right now, I don't do bathrooms. I'll take the kitchen if you want."

The women split up the cleaning chores. Lindsay took the bathroom, Stella the living room and Cory the kitchen. Soon the musty smell of pent up air was replaced by the scent of cleaners.

In the bathroom, Lindsay was scrubbing the tub, which looked like it had not been properly cleaned in a couple of months. She checked out Flack's shampoo and such to make sure there was plenty.

In the living room, Stella was throwing away old papers and straightening the clutter up. She looked around and decided that the carpets need to be vacuumed as well.

In the kitchen, Cory had the huge task of cleaning out the fridge. There was not much food in there, but what was there was past its prime. She noticed that Flack had plenty of beer and started a mental grocery list.

Once the three women were done with their cleaning, they took a break. "Ya, know," Cory said. "I looked in Flack's pantry and he has no food. We should go shopping for him. I have to get stuff for tomorrow anyway; you know food, stuff to make a cake, etcetera."

"That's a good idea," Stella said. Lindsay also nodded her agreement. The three women started the grocery list.

While she was writing the list down, Cory added a few things for herself. "Guys, how 'bout we make some meals for Flack, so he'll just have to heat things up."

Lindsay and Stella thought about that. Stella nodded her head. "I think that's a good idea. We don't have a lot of time though."

"I agree. We don't have a whole lot of time. How can we make enough meals?" Lindsay said.

"Here's my idea. What if we just cook some entrées? I know that I cooked lasagna for tomorrow. We can cook like 5 different entrées and them just a few sides to go with them."

Stella looked at Cory. "Ya, know. That's not a bad idea. But the only problem is…" She trailed off as she started laughing. The other women looked at her, motioning for her to continue. "Okay. I'm better now. The only problem is that Flack will likely expect this from us all the time."

Both Cory and Lindsay laughed at that. Cory, still giggling, replied, "I'll give him a free pass for a week, then the kitchen in closed! But seriously, is he allergic to anything? Doesn't like anything?"

Lindsay shrugged her shoulders. "All I know is that he is sick of hospital food. Every time I go up there to eat dinner with him he complains…" Lindsay rolled her eyes as she trailed off.

"What about you, Stella? You've known him longer than we have."

Stella thought for a moment. "He's not allergic to anything, but he's a true meat and potatoes man."

"I can work with that," Cory said. With that she finished the grocery listed and said that she was going to the store.

Lindsay grabbed her jacket. "I'll go with you. I need to get some stuff and some decorations for tomorrow."

Stella agreed with them. All three women left the apartment and went grocery shopping.

--

The women had agreed to meet at Flack's apartment at ten am. They knew that getting there early, Flack was being released at 3 pm, would give them time to decorate and get the food ready.

When Cory got there, both Stella and Lindsay were already in the apartment. Cory was carrying a box again, this time filled with food. They had dropped off Flack's groceries last night before going home.

Lindsay looked at Cory when she started unpacking her food. "What did you make?"

"Let's see. I have chicken fried steak, fried chicken, stir-fry, and mashed potatoes. What did y'all bring?"

Stella answered first. "I have Pastitsio, Kota Psiti and Lemonato. For sides I have a Greek salad and green beans. Whadda ya got Linds?"

Lindsay looked at the two other women in awe. "Wow. I feel like such a non-cook. I have fried pork chops, a roast and some prepared hamburger patties."

The three women looked at each other and grinned. "Maybe we went a little overboard?" Cory drawled sheepishly. "What the hell. He's been in the hospital for six weeks!"

The last thing that Cory unpacked from her box was the lasagna. She put that in the fridge, making a mental reminder to put it in the oven about 3, so she would have an hour to heat it up before the guys got there.

With all the food put away, the women started to decorate, hanging balloons and streamers. The last thing that they put up was a big banner that read, "Welcome Home, Don!"

They cleaned up the mess that they had made and then Cory realized that it was already 2:30. "Wow. They'll be home in an hour. Are you excited, Linds?"

"Yeah, I am. It'll be so good to be able to spend some time alone with him. I mean…I've thought about. I'm so totally attracted to him. Oh! And did I tell you? He said that he's wanted to ask me out for months but he was afraid that I liked Danny? Messer? Please!"

Both Stella and Cory grinned at her excitement. Stella had a twinkle in her eye when she said, "I knew you guys would make a cute couple! I'm just glad that you finally realized it! I won the bet."

"Bet. What bet?"

"We had a pool on when you guys would finally break down. I won 200."

Lindsay hung her head. "I'm so embarrassed!!" That set the women giggling again.

--

Mac, Danny and Hawkes walked into the hospital a little before three. Mac looked at the two other men. "Remember. As far as Flack knows, Stella and Lindsay are processing the scene."

"Yes, Mac." Both men rolled their eyes at the unneeded warning. They got to Flacks room, Danny with the bag he had packed for him.

As they walked in to Flack's room, Flack called out, "'Bout time you guys got here! I want to blow this joint!"

The guys grinned at that, understanding how bad he wanted to out of the hospital.

Danny played along. "Here. Here. Here's your clothes. Go get changed!" Flack laughed a bit at how Danny was acting. Flack got up slowly, trying to be careful of his still healing wound.

When he was done the nurse was in the room with the wheelchair. Flack almost whined when he saw it. "Do I have to?"

The nurse smiled at that. "Yes, Detective. It's hospital policy."

Flack sat in the wheelchair, grumbling. He'd already signed all the paperwork to leave and he just wanted to go. The nurse wheeled him to the doors where Mac's SUV was waiting.

The nurse stopped the wheelchair and put the brakes on. "Here ya are. And can I say I hope to never see you here again?"

At first Flack was a little offended and then her meaning sank in. He smiled. "I hope that I never have to see you here again as well."

The guys got into the vehicle, Flack and Mac in the front and Danny and Hawkes in the back and Mac started the drive to Flack's apartment.

When they were about a block from Flack's apartment, Danny took out his cell phone and quickly text messaged Lindsay to let the girls know that they were almost there.

When they were they, the guys got out of the car. Danny was carrying Flack's bag and they made their way up the stairs. Around the third floor, Flack lived on the fourth floor; Danny sniffed and said, "Someone's cooking Italian. It smells good. Just like home."

When they got to Flack's door, Danny took out the key and opened the door. He gestured for Flack to go in first.

"SURPRISE!"

Flack jumped a little at the girl's shouts and the smiled in happiness. He saw Stella, Lindsay and Cory standing under the welcome home banner. _Wow. Lindsay looks amazing._

The three women rushed to hug Flack. Lindsay let her hug linger for a bit and she whispered in his ear, "Glad to have you home." They she gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

Flack regained his composer. "I thought you guys had to work!"

Stella laughed. "Work and miss you coming home from the hospital? Never! Come on sit down and let the party begin." She ushered the other guys to sit down.

Danny walked in and got a good look at Cory who was wearing jeans and an oversize Cowboy's jersey. He did a double take. _Wow. She's wearing jeans. I've never seen her in anything like this before._ That was when he realized that the smell of the Italian food was coming from this apartment. He sniffed the air appreciatively. "Okay. What smells so good?"

Cory looked over at Danny at that. "Oh. That's just the lasagna I made for Flack. It's in the over heating up. Lindsay told me how much he was complaining about hospital food, so we decided to cook for him." She turned to Flack. "You have enough prepared food for about a week or a week and a half. It's in your fridge."

Stella spoke up to. "Yeah. We went shopping for you."

Cory started giggling at that. "Yeah. I almost had a heart attack when I looked in your fridge. I thought something was going to attack me!"

Flack looked at the women, stunned. "You guys cooked for me?"

Lindsay shrugged it off. "Think of it as a welcome home present." She couldn't resist needling Cory. "And Cory brought you some plants."

Flack raised his eyebrows. "Plants? I have a black thumb."

Cory laughed. "Don't worry, Flack. I brought you cacti. They thrive on sporadic care." She pointed to the two plants in the room. "I brought you an aloe vera plant, it's good for minimizing scars, and I also brought an African milk tree cactus. As long as you water them occasionally, they'll live."

Cory was interrupted by the kitchen timer. "I hope y'all are hungry. The lasagna is ready." She walked into the kitchen, grabbed some potholders and put the lasagna on the counter. She let it cool while she heated up the garlic bread and put the salad together.

"Okay. For everyone, except Flack, this is serve yourself." Cory made up a plate for Flack and took it into the living room. "Here you go."

Everyone else lined up, dishing out the food. When everyone else had a plate, Cory made one for herself.

The living room grew silent and everyone settled in. Danny widened his eyes in shock when he took the first bite. "Gawd, Feebie…This is really good!! It's better than my Mama's lasagna and she's Italian!! Where did you get the recipe?"

Cory blushed at the compliment that was quickly echoed throughout the group. "It's my own recipe. Thank you."

Lindsay looked at Cory. "Girl. You have got to give me this recipe!"

"Me, too!" Stella exclaimed.

Cory smiled. "I can give it to you, but then I'd have to kill you." The women laughed at that. "But seriously, I don't measure anything. I just do it. I can give you the basic recipe, minus my secret ingredients of course."

Lindsay pouted, playfully. "But then it wouldn't be the same!"

The group grew quiet again as everyone continued eating. When everyone had eaten their fill, there was still almost half of a lasagna left. Cory turned to Flack and said, "You can freeze the leftovers and it will keep for a couple of weeks."

Flack nodded. He felt so at ease, surrounded by the love of his friends. He was happy to be out of the hospital. "Guys, I just want to say thank you. This was great and…" Flack trailed off when Mac, Stella and Hawkes' cell phones rang.

"Taylor. Yeah. We'll be right there." Mac hung up his cell phone. "Sorry Flack, even though we got the day off, we were still on call. We gotta go in."

Flack said his good-byes to the three and looked at Lindsay, Cory and Danny. "So. I really don't want to be alone yet. How 'bout a movie?"

Danny nodded. "Sounds good to me." He looked at Cory out of the corner of his eye. _Please let her stay. I just want to try to break down the wall she keeps putting up._

Lindsay and Cory looked at each other. "Ok." Both moved over to the shelves where Flack kept his DVD's. Cory looked back over her shoulder and said, "By the way, Messer. I cooked. You can clean."

Danny protested this, but was outnumbered three to one. Sighing, he picked up the plates and started to clean the kitchen.

Cory and Lindsay were looking over Flack's DVD's. "So, Linds. What do you want? Comedy? Horror? Action? I notice Flack doesn't have any 'chick flicks.'"

Lindsay thought for a moment. "Definitely horror. That way I get an excuse to cuddle with Flack."

Cory just rolled her eyes. As she refocused on the DVD's she noticed a film. "Oh my God! He has the original _Texas Chainsaw Massacre_ on DVD! We HAVE to watch this, Linds! This is like the best horror movie ever!"

Lindsay looked at her. "I've never seen it."

Cory looked up in disbelief. "You have never seen it? That's it. This is what we are watching." Cory walked over to Flack and handed him the movie. "This is what we decided to watch."

Flack looked impressed at the title. "Really?"

"Yeah. Lindsay's never seen it before."

Flack got up off the couch and made his way to the kitchen in disbelief. "Messer. You'll never believe what the girls picked as the movie."

Danny looked up at Flack. "Let me guess. It has either Tom Cruise or Vin Diesel in it."

Flack shook his head. "Nope. They picked _The Texas Chainsaw Massacre._"

"No way. Two chicks want to watch that movie? At least you'll get to hold Montana. I'll make some popcorn and be right in."

Danny motioned for Flack to leave so he could finish cleaning the kitchen.

* * *

_The Little Corinthian-glad you delurked ! i'm glad you like cory...i'm the worst at getting emotionally involved with fictional characters!_

_axellia-he so does need to learn from mac! (maybe my muse will let a them meet!)...some fun is definately coming up for them (starting with this chapter and the next!)...i'll probably update fairly quickly since i'm about 5 chapters ahead right now!_

_chili-peppers-- diolch!_


	14. Creepy Guys and Chainsaws

_**Disclaimer**_**: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ My muse gave me so much fluff that I had to break it into a couple of chapters!! By the way…I do not own any part of_ The Texas Chainsaw Massacre_! If I did, I never would have let them shoot the remake that was absolute crap!! (lol) By the way, if you have not seen the original TCM then go rent it!! (if I don't spoil it for you here!)_

Chapter 14.

**Creepy Guys and Chainsaws**

Danny finished cleaning the kitchen quickly and then popped the popcorn. When he was finished, he got the popcorn and walked into the living room.

Flack was sitting on the couch with Lindsay curled up beside him. Cory was sitting on the floor in front of the couch, on a cushion. He put the popcorn on the table and decided to sit next to Cory.

"Hey, Messer. Before you sit down, turn on the surround sound." Danny did as Flack had asked, turned off the lights and settled on the floor facing the big screen TV.

Cory grabbed the remote and turned on the movie. She knew that the movie started out a little slow and hoped that it would capture Lindsay's imagination. She wondered why Messer had sat next to her instead of on the couch or in a chair and while she wouldn't admit it, she was glad. The movie was one of the few that could actually make her jump at points.

As the credits were rolling, Danny leaned over and whispered, "I hope you won't be too scared. This is a great horror movie."

Chuckling, Cory responded quickly. "I know. I've seen it 8 times. It just gets better every time!"

Danny was puzzled at her admission. _A woman who loves this movie? Wow. She is just full of surprises._

They both fell silent as the narrator began.

As the movie progressed, the four began to get more into the story. Cory was subconsciously flinching when the hitchhiker was mentioned. When the hitchhiker started to go even crazier, she glanced back and saw that Flack had his arm around Lindsay and she had her face buried in his shoulder.

Lindsay almost gasped when the hitchhiker cut Franklin's arm and was very glad when he was thrown out of the van.

The action lulled at that moment, but Cory was already preparing herself for the next episode. When Kirk went into the house, even Cory was holding her breath, knowing what was about to happen. Then, when Pam is captured by Leatherface, Cory unconsciously turned her head into Danny's shoulder. She hated that meat hook and she could never watch that scene.

Danny, in the meantime, was pleased at her reaction. He knew by the way she was acting that she had seen the movie a lot. She was reacting to what was happening before it even happened. When she put her head on his shoulder he reacted naturally. He put his arm around her to comfort her. Lost as she was in the movie, she never noticed.

Flack had seen his move and grinned. _Isn't that cute? Linds was right, they really do have a thing for each other!_

Lindsay snuggled against him even harder when Leatherface started the chainsaw and went to work. In his mind, this was the best movie that Cory could have picked and thinking about it, he realized that she had done this on purpose. _Well, that little sneak!_

The action picked back up in the movie, Jerry was the next to die and the scene that focused on Leatherface sitting next to the window made both women burrow closer to the guys. Cory had realized that she should not be hanging onto Danny like she was but she decided to just enjoy the experience. _I've never watched this movie with a guy before. This is kinda nice. I like the fact that he is trying to comfort me._

Danny was only half paying attention to the movie. He was enjoying the feel of Cory in his arms too much. He felt her shudder and he looked at the screen. He realized that one of the creepiest parts was coming up. Grandpa was about to 'come alive'. He tightened his arm around her and looked over his shoulder. To his surprise, he saw that Lindsay was not even looking at the screen. She had her head pressed into Flack's shoulder and both hands over her face.

Lindsay was watching but not watching the movie. She was not really a fan of horror movies and this one was creeping her out. She stiffened as she realized that the old man was not dead at all. With a mental note that she was going to kill Cory, she put her hands back over her eyes. "Just tell me when it's safe to look," she whispered to Flack. She felt him run hand up and down her arm, trying to comfort her.

Finally thirty minutes later, the movie was over. Both men were disappointed. Cory immediately moved away from Danny and Lindsay started critiquing the movie.

"The ending sucks!! I mean, come on. Couldn't that creepy guy with the chainsaw die or something."

"Linds. He has a name. It's Leatherface." Cory started laughing at Lindsay's frustration. She understood. She had thought the same thing the first time she had seen the movie.

Danny tried to make a move on Cory. "Ya know, Feebie. We should do this more often. I like having a woman shaking in my arms while watching a scary movie. Whadda ya say? Next Friday?"

Cory's mind went blank. Danny was asking her out? She tried to brush it off. "This was a one time occurrence, Messer. And I have other plans. Sorry."

Danny was disappointed, but tried not to let it show. "You're loss."

Cory smiled at that. "Whatever. Wow, it's getting late. I should go home."

Danny jumped on the chance to spend more time with her. "I'll walk you there."

Cory knew better than to argue with him, so she just gathered her things. "Bye. Flack, welcome home. Lindsay? We still on for tomorrow?"

Lindsay nodded. "Brunch, right? Then shopping?" Cory nodded her agreement. "Okay. See ya then, Cor."

Danny and Cory left then.

Flack looked at Lindsay and smiled. "Ya, know? You feel good in my arms."

Lindsay blushed and smiled as well. "I like being here. I'm glad that we finally admitted to each other how we felt."

They continued to sit on the couch, content to just be with each other.

--

Danny and Cory walked in silence for a bit. Danny was still trying to work out his feelings and Cory trying to repress hers.

"Ya know," Danny said thoughtfully. "Ya really surprised me tonight. You can cook! And you like horror movies? You're like the perfect woman."

Cory smiled a little until he called her perfect, then her mood grew somber. "I'm far from perfect, Messer."

Danny glanced at her and saw the somber look on her face. "You okay?"

Cory brushed off his concern. "I'm fine. So what other horror movies do you like?" She was trying to redirect the conversation.

Danny decided to take the hint. "Let's see. I really like the _Nightmare on Elm Street_ series, _Friday the Thirteenth_, _Saw_…well the list goes on and on…Have you seen the remake of _Chainsaw_?"

"Yeah. It sucked big time. They turned it into a teeny bopper horror slasher film…lost all of the creepiness of the original. The only thing I liked about it was the ending. The original left a lot of loose ends and the remake neatly tied everything up."

Danny nodded his agreement. "So what kinda music do you listen to?"

"Me? Anything except gangsta rap and most of country. Although there are a few country songs that I like. I'm really more of a rock chick."

They continued talking more about music and movies all the way to Cory's apartment. Both realized that they had similar tastes. Once at her building, Danny and Cory stopped. "Thanks for walking me home, Messer."

"No prob. I know how dangerous the streets of New York can get. I just wanted to make sure you were safe." Danny continued to look at Cory, staring deep into her eyes. Slowly he began to lower his head to kiss her.

Cory realized with a start what Danny was about to do. She pulled back abruptly and went to the door. "Bye! Gotta go."

As she ran up the stairs, Danny just kept staring after her. _What the hell just happened? I mean, I know I read her right. Why is she pushing me away?_ Sighing in his frustration, Danny just turned to leave, not knowing that the entire episode had been watched by unfriendly eyes.

--

"Here's the tape you asked for, sir. She went to a party earlier. Then that same guy walked her home. But I don't think that there is anything between them. The guy tried to kiss her and she ran."

"Good. Let her keep running. She'll only be kissing one person! And that's me." Carlos Ortiz smiled evilly as he realized how much control he had over Cory.

--

Cory woke up the next morning feeling guilty. _God. What was I thinking about last night? Letting Danny hold me? Then I run when he tries to kiss me! Damn, I'm so…heartless._ Rubbing her eyes, she got out of bed and got ready to go shopping with Lindsay.

--

Lindsay met up with Cory at ten. She was walking on the air after the night at Flack's apartment. "Hey Cor! Today is such a good day!"

"Hey, Linds." Cory sounded depressed.

"Cory? Everything okay?"

Cory looked up to the sky, fighting to control her emotions. "I'm such a bad person. I…I…" Cory couldn't continue.

"What happened last night?" Lindsay was growing concerned.

"Danny tried to kiss me and I ran."

Lindsay looked at Cory in shock. "Wait. Danny tried to kiss you? What, when…what?"

Cory smiled a little at Lindsay's shock. "He walked me home. We had a good conversation. We stopped at the door. He tried to kiss me. I pulled away and ran up the stairs to my apartment. End of story."

"Why did you run? You obviously have feelings for him."

"Maybe. But I'm choosing to ignore those feelings. I don't want to get involved with him. He's a player and I don't want to get hurt. Besides. I don't date."

"Cory. Danny's a good guy. Yeah, he's a player, but I don't think that he would hurt you. All you have to do is give him a chance." Lindsay looked at Cory seriously.

Cory shook her head. "Sorry, Linds. I'm not willing to take that risk. Can we talk about something else? Maybe, 'bout what happened with you and Flack after we left?"

Lindsay blushed. "Not much. We sat there after you guys left and then fell asleep on the couch." Lindsay's blush grew brighter. "It was nice to wake up in his arms."

Cory started laughing. "Have y'all even kissed yet?"

"No. We're not quite there yet. We're still in 'first date' mode."

"Spill!! Give me all the details…I have to live vicariously through someone!"

Lindsay just started laughing as the waitress came to take their orders. "You wouldn't have to live vicariously through me if you would take Danny up on his offer!"

Cory just shook her head, laughing still. "That's alright. I have all the excitement I need with you and Flack." Cory mimed calf eyes at Lindsay, grateful the woman had helped her to forget about Danny for one second.

After they were done eating, the girls paid for their brunch and went shopping.

* * *

**A/N:**_ btw--if anyone hasn't seen TCM and wants to know how it ends...just pm me and i'll fill you in!_

_kasmith101-I was excited for the fluff, too! Yes, they cuddle a little...the full blown cuddles are a while off yet!_

_tylerhiltongroupie53-- (blushing)--thanks! glad to see you back...i missed you the last couple of chapters!_

_bluenose-glad you liked that line...it's one of my favs from that chappie! i'm think she thought that it was Danny!_

_The Little Corinthian-i love that movie (that's why i chose it) but i've never watched it with guys! a couple of girlfriends and i have a movie night (once a month usually) and we watched this a couple of years ago around halloween...i'm sorry that i made you want lasagna! i do too, but i've been working so much that i haven't had time to make one..._

_axellia-you are so there in spirit to take care of Flack! as for the chicken fried steak, it's called that because it's steak that is battered like fried chicken and then fried...if ya want to know how to make it, pm me and i'll explain in full! I also love the original TCM (can you tell from my disclosure above?) the remake was just crap! the only thing i like about it was that it did have an actual ending with some closure! it took me 3 months but i did find the original on dvd and i watched that while i typed this chapter!_

_chili-peppers-i'm glad that you liked chappie 12 (my favs are 17 and 18, but i haven't posted those yet!)_

_screaming-poetically-i'm glad you were able to imagine everything...so i hope that you loved this one which actually had the movie in it...i tried to give enough of the movie to make it interesting, but leave enough out that if someone hasn't watched it and wants to, it won't spoil it for them.._


	15. Traitor

_**Disclaimer**_**: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Ok. Back into the drama!! Please, please, please R&R!! It makes my muse happy!!_

Chapter 15.

**Traitor**

About a week after Flack got home from the hospital, Cory was in her office, excited because she had managed to get a warrant to raid one of the three targets she had picked out.

Agent Michaels called Cory into his office. "I have some news for you."

Cory took a deep breath, waiting for him to continue.

"We have investigated everyone that could possibly be the mole and have found some irregularities with Liz Jeffries finances. We found an offshore account that shows regular deposits each month for the last six months. It's not enough to do anything with right now. We have to trace back where the money is coming from."

"Ok. So what do you want me to do? I've already got the warrant for the next target-it's a warehouse that has seen some suspicious activity. We're supposed to raid tomorrow." Cory shook her head, perplexed.

"Right now, actually like nothing has happened. Just proceed as planned."

Cory shook her head in agreement, her mind buzzing with the news. "Okay. Anything else?"

"No. I just wanted to keep you in the loop."

"Okay. Thanks, Agent Michaels." Cory left his office with her mind still in overdrive. _Liz? The mole is Liz? How can she do something like that? I thought that she wanted to catch Ortiz as much as I did!_ As Cory walked, she could feel her anger rising. It was a deadly, cold anger. This type of anger made her more calculating and less forgiving of any mistakes that anyone else would make. At this point, only perfection would make her happy.

--

About two blocks from the warehouse that they were going to raid, the FBI had set up a command post. Cory was briefing everyone on what to expect. When she was done, she started strapping on her gear. The first thing she put on was her bulletproof vest. Then she strapped on her thigh holster for her handgun. _I have an uneasy feeling about this. I'd better make sure that I'm fully armed._ With that thought, she grabbed a rifle from the van.

Once the whole team was geared up, Cory motioned for them to begin to creep closer to the warehouse. This time going in, Liz and Cory were going in first, with Travis and Byron following them.

When they reached the warehouse, Cory waited for confirmation that the remaining team was in position. As soon as she got the word, she motioned for the battering ram team to break down the door. She went in low, Liz went in high; both of them yelling, "FBI!!"

The group of ten Hispanic men inside looked up in surprise but did not hesitate to pull out their weapons. Cory saw what they were doing and immediately yelled, "Freeze! Put your weapons down." The men ignored her and opened fire. Instinctively she dove for cover, bringing her weapon at the ready. When she got behind the metal drums, she paused for a breath.

Once she caught her breath, she put the rifle up to her shoulder and began to return fire. Quickly she took out two of them men before they took over behind some boxes. She took a moment to call in some backup. By her count, she thought that the men had expended most of their ammunition.

She stood back up and quickly fired off another couple of rounds, trying to scan to see where the remaining eight men had taken cover. She saw on her scan that four of the ten FBI agents that had come into the warehouse were down, including Liz.

Cory caught a bit of movement out of the corner of her eye and turned instinctively. To her shock she saw that one of the gang members was opening a box. Her jaw almost dropped when she saw him pulling out AK-47's. _Crap. I thought this was a drug smuggling warehouse! Damn it, this is one of their weapons hubs. How much ammo do I have?_ Quickly she mentally went over what ammo she had brought in with her and realized that the agents were severely outgunned. She knew that she had to end this quickly.

Making her decision, she again checked the positions of gang members. She saw another agent in her line of sight and with some quick hand motions let him know what she was planning. He nodded that he understood.

In unison both agents stood up and started firing. The other agents, seeing what they were doing and opened fire as well. In minutes most of the gang members were down, with only two left firing. Cory was out of ammo for the rifle, but quickly drew her 9 mm Glock. She aimed at one of the remaining men and squeezed off a shot.

Travis looked on in horror as the remaining gang member focused on Cory and quickly fired off five shots. "CORY!!" His yell echoed throughout the warehouse and Cory was hit and fell to the ground. Rage flowed through his veins as he took aim at the gang member and quickly shot him and watched him fall to the floor and quickly ran to Cory's side.

"Cory? Cory? Are you okay?" He could hear her gasping for breath as she tried to respond.

"I'm…I'm fine. Feels like I got hit in the chest with a hammer, but I'll live." Cory tried to sit up and then realized that her arm hurt. She looked down at her arm and her eyes opened wide at the blood running down her arm.

Travis followed her gaze and realized that she was shot in the arm. "Damn it, Cory! You're not fine! You've been hit!" He clamped down on her arm with both hands to stop the flow of blood.

"I'm fine, Travis. It's just a scratch! What about Liz?" In her heart, she knew the answer, but was trying to hold out hope just in case she was wrong.

Travis just shook his head, his eyes showing his regret.

Cory closed her eyes. _Shit. Even if she was the mole, she didn't deserve to die!_ Cory lifted her head as the sound of sirens got closer.

Fifteen minutes later, Cory was sitting in an ambulance arguing with a paramedic who wanted her to go to the hospital. She was refusing. Finally, Travis came over and ordered her to go to the hospital.

--

Cory sat on a bed in the emergency room, lost in thought. She was mourning the death of the four agents they had lost and silently cursing herself for not realizing that the warehouse was storing assault weapons.

The doctor walked into the room, reading her chart. "Agent Reid. I'm Dr. Phillips and I'm going to check you over."

"I'm fine, Doc. It's just a flesh wound."

The doctor just shook his head and began to remove the bandages that the paramedics had put on her arm. With the bandages gone, the doctor peered at the bullet hole and started to clean it. "Well, it looks like a through and through. What kind of bullet was it?"

Cory bit her lip at the flash of pain that the doctor caused. "I'm not sure. It could have been any assault rifle bullets since the perps were firing AK-47's."

Dr. Phillips shook his head in amazement. "You were very lucky. There is minimal damage and it should heal up alright in a couple of weeks. Now it's also listed that you took two shots to the chest that were stopped by your vest?"

"Yeah."

"Let me examine you to make sure there was no damage. With that kind of force behind them, it could have bruised your ribs." He lifted up her gown to see two bruises the size of dinner plates across her chest and midsection. "Do you feel any pain here? Here? Here?" Dr. Phillips kept testing different spots around the bruises for any pain that was not normal. When he was satisfied that there was no internal damage he just shook his head. "You are one lucky woman."

After he had finished stitching up her arm, he said that she was free to go, with the normal precautions.

Breathing a silent prayer of thanks, Cory got dressed and left the hospital. She immediately called Travis to get an update on the status of the crime scene.

"Hey, Travis. The doc gave me a clean bill of health and I'm free to come back to work."

_Not tonight, you're not! We're still collecting evidence and we don't need you here. Just go home, get some sleep and be prepared to work like a dog tomorrow because we have a ton of computers that we will be going over._

"But…"

"_No buts! That's an order. Go home."_

Cory realized that she was overruled. "Fine. I'll see you tomorrow." She stopped next to the agent that was waiting to escort her home. They got in the SUV and left.

--

Lindsay was just finishing a double shift after completing the tests she was running on a man that was gunned down in Central Park. She rolled her neck, trying to relieve some of the tiredness she felt. _I'll call Cory and see if she wants to go to dinner or something._ She took out her phone and dialed Cory's number.

"_Reid."_

"Hey Cory. It's Lindsay. Do want to have dinner or something tonight?"

"_No. I'm just going home and sleeping. I've had a…rough day."_

"The Ortiz case?" Lindsay heard Cory sigh and felt that she was trying not to say something. "Ok, girl. What's wrong?"

"_Nothing's wrong. I just…"_ Cory trailed off, not sure that she wanted to tell Lindsay what happened. _"I just got home from the hospital. A raid went wrong today. We lost four agents and I got shot."_

"You got SHOT!" Lindsay's yell attracted Danny's attention as he walked by the lab.

"Who got shot, Montana?" Danny tried to get Lindsay's attention, but she just waved him off.

"Where and what the hell happened?" Lindsay asked when Cory left her hanging.

"_In the arm. Geez's Linds. Calm down. I'm fine. The doctor has already discharged me from the hospital. I'm at home right now."_

"Sorry, I get kinda upset when one on my friend's fails to tell me that she was shot. Do you want me to come over?"

"_No. I'm just going to bed so I can get to work early tomorrow. I'll call you tomorrow."_

"Okay. Sweet dreams." Lindsay hung the phone muttering under her breath. She turned around to see Danny still waiting impatiently for her to answer his question.

"Who. Got. Shot?" Danny bit off each word, making each one a statement.

Lindsay saw the look in Danny's eyes and backed up a step. "Back off, Messer. You look kinda scary right now. It was Cory. She said a raid went bad and she got shot in the arm. She's fine. She's at home about to go to bed."

Danny just stood there in shock, emotions battering him from different sides. On one hand he was angry and scared…on the other hand his brain was telling him that he had no reason to feel that way. The he remember the way she had been treating him, the conflicting signals. Danny sighed and made the decision to back off completely.

"Awight. I hope she's feeling better." Danny left it at that and decided to go home.

--

Cory had woken up early and was at work by 7am. She immediately went down to the labs to see what information she could pull off the computers there.

"Hey John. Have you gotten any info yet?"

The lab tech looked up at her soft words. "Hey, Cory. I've gotten through one of the computers and there was a ton of info on it! How's your arm?"

"I'll be fine. I just need to keep the bandage on it and in a week I'll be close to normal."

"Good to hear. I'm sorry to hear about Liz. She was a damn good agent. Here are the discs from the first computer. I glanced at the data, but I was lost in all the accounting. Hopefully you'll be able to make something out of it."

"Thanks. John."

When Cory got back up to her desk she sat down. She wanted to get to work, but she couldn't get Liz's death out of her mind. On one hand, she was upset about the death of her friend, but on the other…she was upset because her friend might have been a traitor. _Talk about conflicting emotions!!_

Cory sat at her desk for hours pouring over the data. _John was right. This is a ton of info and this is only the first computer! This is exactly what we needed to help put an end to Mala Suerte._

Cory took her glasses off and rubbed her eyes. She was a little overwhelmed at the sheer amount of data she had to process. She knew at the rate she was going she would still be processing this data in two months.

She had just stopped for lunch when she heard a knock on her door. She looked up to see Agent Michaels standing at her door. "Agent Reid. Got a moment?"

"Sure, sir. What's going on?"

"I wanted to let you know that we were able to trace back the deposits in Liz's account. They all trace back to business' that are known to be owned by Mala Suerte. I'm sorry. I know she was your friend."

Cory closed her eyes briefly. "No need to be sorry, sir. I know the pressure that we're under and it's not unheard of for a gang or hell even the mob, to break one of our agents. I only wonder if there was anything I could have done to prevent it."

"Not likely. The deposits started about a month before you got here. Don't beat yourself over it."

Cory smiled. "Thanks. I'll try not to." Cory got up and walked out of the office with Agent Michaels, deciding that it was a good time to go to lunch and think things over.

* * *

_kasmith101-i know i'm a tease! but that's what makes it fun! glad you're still with me:)_

_screaming-poetically- not it's not bad to squee! but how are you going to feel with they kiss? oh...btw...i'm having a really hard time writing Stella for some reason, that's why she's not in it much! i'll definately have to check out your Numb3rs fics (i'm just in love with charlie! somehow i'm going to have to come up with a story that gets: Flack, Danny, Charlie & Don (from Numb3rs), Eric (from Miami), Greg & Warrick (from Vegas), Martin & Danny (from Without a Trace) all together in the same story...i melt just to think about it!_

_tylerhiltongroupie52-all i can tell you is that flack&lindsay will kiss before danny&cory...(giggling evily)_

_chili-peppers-of course i think there good! chapter 17 is the one that actually started the story! if not for that idea, y'all wouldn't be reading this right now! yeah...cory could have kissed danny, but remember she knows that ortiz is following her and she doesn't want anything to happen to danny! (neither does my muse right now!)...it's safer this way... :p_

_axellia-cory gives good advice, but she doesn't take it very well! right now my muse is happy with danny fully intact (that may change once...i mean IF (lol) him and cory actually break down!...i can't believe that she didn't realize that TCM was set in Texas! (she's not usually that ditzy is she?)_

_pnkrckprncss-good things come to those who wait! btw-watch the original TCM (not the remake) and it will restore you're faith in horror movies...another good one is Audrey Rose which has Anthony Hopkins in it...very creepy!_


	16. Information Overload

_**Disclaimer**_**: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ For some reason, this was a really hard chapter to write! I hope it's ok…Please, please, pleasing R&R!!_

Chapter 16.

**Information Overload**

Cory sat at a small café, thinking over the previous seven years. _Where did everything go wrong? How could Liz do that? What would cause a good agent to go down that path?_

Cory mulled over these questions with her coffee, but her mind kept wandering back to Danny. She kept trying to not think about him, but it was not working. _Why do I keep thinking about him?_ Cory clapped her hand to her forehead as the answer became clear. _I like him. He's not someone that I can push away. God! I feel so guilty about brushing him off when he tried to kiss me. I'm such a dunce! I shouldn't let Ortiz rule my life. By doing that, I'm giving him what he wants. I need to talk to Danny. Apologize and let him know the danger._

Cory felt some of her conflicting emotions recede with her decision. Happier than she had been in weeks, she left the café and went back to the office.

--

Cory was tired. She'd been working 80 hours a week for the past two weeks trying to process all of the evidence. She was discouraged that she had not had the time to try to talk to Danny.

When she got home on Wednesday night, she just sat on her couch, too exhausted to move. When she heard her phone ring, she barely had the energy to answer her phone. "Reid."

"_Hey, Cory."_

"Hi, Lindsay. How've you been?"

"_I've been good. How've you been? I called a couple of times, but I always get your voicemail."_

"Sorry about that. I've been working 80 hours a week trying to process all the evidence. Listen. I want to apologize to Danny for bolting on him when he tried to kiss me. What do you think?"

"_Why?"_

"I've come to some realizations about my life." Cory answered the question a little evasively. "I really don't want to talk about the reasons. I just need to get some time to call him. I want to tell him this in person."

"_Go for it. I think that you guys would make a great couple!"_

Cory grinned wryly. "Where have I heard that before?"

Lindsay laughed. _"Hey. I'm just repeating the most excellent advice that I received from a good friend."_

"Thanks, Linds. I'll do that. Hey. Do you want to go out on Friday? Maybe a girl's night out?"

"_Sounds like fun. Where are we going? Ray's?"_

"I thought we'd try something a little different. What about a club? Say, Trance?"

"_Trance? That's like the hottest club right now! How are we going to get in?"_

Cory smiled. "Just leave that to me. Do you think we can get Stella to come?"

"_I think so. She's been talking about needing to let off some steam recently. I'll ask her and let you know. I'll let you go. Sounds like with as much as you've been working, you need you're sleep."_

"Night, Linds."

--

Cory woke up early the next day, feeling a little better after sleeping for eight hours.

When she got to work she found three more disks with information on it. Sighing, she put the first disk in her computer. Looking over the data, she realized that this was an accounting record from the sale of all the weapons. Raising her eyebrows in surprise, she dove into auditing the information to see what she could find.

A couple of hours later, Cory got up and stretched. She had filled four sheets of paper with possible notes about which transactions she wanted to investigate deeper.

She heard a knock at her door and turned away from the window that she was looking out of. "Travis. What can I do for you?"

"I was just seeing how it was going."

Cory smiled faintly. "It's going. There is so much data from the computers that we seized that I think that I'm investigating even when I sleep! I wake up with these great ideas about what to look at next and some of those hunches have turned up some…interesting information."

"Like what?"

"Well for one thing, there are massive amount of deposits and transfers to offshore accounts. From just glancing at them, it's possible that they might be from either drug cartels or even possible terrorist groups. I think that they are from drug cartels." Cory shrugged.

Travis nodded his head. "Sounds like you have everything under control. I'll let you get back to work." Travis waved good-bye to her as he turned to leave her office.

--

A couple of hours later, Cory threw her pen down in frustration. She had spent much of the afternoon trying to get more information in regards to the offshore accounts that Mala Suerte had received deposits from. Unfortunately, getting information out of offshore banks was as hard as to breaking into Fort Knox. Cory knew that it could be done; she just had to be patient.

Deciding that she needed advice, she called Agent Michael. "Agent Michaels? It's Agent Reid. I have a question. Is there a way to look at the major drug cartels to see if any have had a significant amount of money going out recently?"

"_You might want to get with the drug smuggling unit to see if they've noticed anything."_

"I'll do that. Thanks."

Cory hung up with him and started to call other agents.

A couple of hours had passed and Cory felt like she had accomplished a great deal. She had leads for where some of the money that Mala Suerte had received came from. Working closing with the drug smuggling unit, they had identified three possible sources of the deposits.

Feeling relief for the first time in two weeks, she decided to go to the crime lab to see if Lindsay wanted to go out to dinner.

--

Lindsay was bored. She had finished her case, an easy one that was ruled a suicide, and now she was doing the paperwork. _Paperwork sucks. There's just so much of it! _Lindsay shook her head in disgust. She knew that she should be grateful that nothing big had happened to require her to go into the field, but all the same she hated paperwork. Her heart jumped when she heard her phone ring. "Monroe."

"_Hey, baby. Busy?"_

Lindsay's face lit up at the sound of Flack's voice. "No, just catching up on some paperwork."

"_Listen. You want to go to dinner and a movie? Just you and me?"_

"Our first date?" Lindsay's heart started racing in happiness. Due to her heavy workload the last couple of weeks, they had not been able to actual go out on a date.

"_That's the idea. How 'bout 7? We can go see the new _Pirates of the Caribbean _movie."_

"Sounds great!" Lindsay looked up as Cory walked in. "I gotta go. I'll see you at seven."

Cory saw the smile on Lindsay face and surmised that she had been talking to Flack. "How are things with y'all?"

"Good. We have our first 'date' tonight. I'm so excited. Oh, God. What am I going to wear?"

Cory laughed at the clichéd question that came out of Lindsay's mouth. "I don't know. I was coming to see if you wanted to go to dinner with me, but hell…How 'bout I help you pick out what you're going to wear instead."

Lindsay looked relieved. "Really? That would be so much fun."

Both women turned around as Danny walked into the room. He smiled at both of them. "Hey, Montana. Feebie. What cha doin' here?"

"Just stopped by to see Lindsay." Cory turned back to Lindsay, trying to suppress how giddy his smile made her feel. "Linds. Did you talk to Stella about tomorrow?"

Lindsay nodded. "She said yes and said that if you could actually get us in, it would be a miracle. But she said it was just what she needed after the last couple of weeks."

Danny, who'd be eavesdropping, looked up in confusion. "Get you in where? And am I invited?"

Cory turned around. "Trance. And no, you're not. This is a girl's night out thing. No men allowed."

"Aw…if you're going to Trace there will be a ton of men there."

"That's the point. I want to meet new men."

"I'm crushed that you don't want me there." Danny was teasing Cory and he was loving the way it made him feel.

Cory on the other hand was close to her breaking point. She just wanted to break down and confess everything to Danny.

Lindsay looked like she was at Wimbledon with the conversation flowing between the two. She decided to break it up. "Hey. Did you forget I'm in the room?"

Cory felt a blush start. "No. So are you ready to go? We need to pick something out that will make Flack drool on your date."

Lindsay grabbed her bag and both women walked out of the room, leaving a confused Danny scratching his head.

--

Cory was looking in Lindsay's closet as she took a shower. Lindsay had told her that Flack was taking her to dinner and a movie. She picked out several outfits for her to try on and waited for her to finish her shower.

Lindsay got out of the shower feeling both excited and relaxed. She wanted to be sexy enough tonight to blow Flack's mind. She put her hair up in a towel and walked into her bedroom.

Cory looked up as Lindsay walked in. "Hey. I'm not exactly sure what you are going for, looks wise, so I picked a couple of different outfits out. Do you want to be casual-sexy or dressy-sexy?"

Lindsay pursed her lips as she thought about the answer. "Dressy-sexy."

Cory nodded and walked over to the bed, where she had laid out the dresses and skirts. "Since it's hot outside, but will be cold in the theater, I came up with a couple of different options. Try this one on first." Cory handed her a long green skirt of light material and a short sleeved pale green shirt that would hug her figure.

Lindsay tried it on, realizing that she had never worn the skirt before. She looked in the mirror and shook her head no. "It's not dressy enough."

"I thought so too. Here. Try on this lavender skirt and white shirt." The two women talked animatedly while Lindsay kept trying on the different outfits. Finally, she decided on a pale blue dress that had spaghetti straps and came to mid-thigh. She had on a matching pair of high-heeled strappy sandals, deciding for forgo the hose since it was so hot outside.

"Now for hair and make-up," Cory said. "I think you should wear your hair straight and go very natural with the make-up."

"Sounds good."

The two women spent the next 45 minutes putting the together the finishing touches. When they were done, Cory looked admiringly at Lindsay. "Wow. Linds, you look great!"

Cory heard the knock at the door while Lindsay was putting on her jewelry. "I'll get it."

When she opened the door she took a long look at Flack. He was dressed in a dark suit with a blue tie that brought out his eyes. He was carrying a bunch of wildflowers. He looked confused at Cory. "Where's Lindsay?"

Cory smiled at him. "Wow. Flack. You look great. She's just finishing getting ready." Cory got a gleam in her eyes and made her voice sound all serious. "Now. Since she doesn't have any family in town, as a close friend I feel it's my obligation to ask you what your intentions are." She tried to give him a glare, but ended up laughing instead.

Flack just rolled his eyes and then began to stare over Cory's shoulder. "Wow. Linds. You look…Wow."

Lindsay smiled as Cory made a hasty retreat out the door. "Have fun! And don't do anything that I wouldn't do!"

Flack remembered the flowers in his hand and stepped forward to give them to her.

Lindsay, in the meantime, was pleased to see the look of shock and desire that came to Flack's eyes as he looked her over. She put the flowers in water and grabbed a wrap as they walked out the door.

--

As Flack and Lindsay walked back to her apartment, she snuggled into his arms. "I had a really good time tonight. That was a great movie."

Flack looked down at her. "So did I. I'm glad that I finally told you how I feel." He stopped as he realized that they were in front of her building. "I guess this is goodnight." He looked down again and got lost in her warm brown gaze. Slowly he lowered his head and captured her lips with his. He felt her sigh in happiness against his lips and deepened the kiss, drawing her body closer to his so that there was no room between them.

Lindsay lost herself in the kiss. The part of her brain that was still thinking was jumping up and down in happiness. She put her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him, not wanting to let him go.

As the need for oxygen made itself known, the couple slowly broke apart. Both were trembling at the desire that was flooding their veins.

"God, Linds. I should go. I don't want to rush this." Flack's voice was trembling with the desire he still felt.

"I understand. I want to take this slow, too." Quickly she leaned in and brushed her lips to his in a final kiss. When they broke apart again, she turned and walked into her building, feeling like she was walking on air.

* * *

_kasmith101-yup...a few cuddles in this chapter, but it's still going to be a while before danny and cory cuddle! y'all have to live vicariously through flack and lindsay for now!_

_screaming-poetically-it's always the bf! what did you think of the kiss? i like the smut, too...i'm just horrible at writing it! are you going to pair colby up with an OC? I know that Danny is a little off kilter, but I think that he knew on some level that it was Cory that got shot, but he's going to get better soon!_

_chili-peppers-the best ever? (blushing, furiously) thanks! yeah, lindsay was mad just because she had to pry the info out of her! hope you liked this one, too!_

_pnkrckprncess-i don't think cory would have confronted her for a while if she hadn't been killed. cory is very passionate about catching ortiz...ok, she obsessed with it (for good reasons that y'all find out in a few chapters)...so i think that she might have gotten violent if she had confronted her at this point. plus, the agency had more access to her bank records once she was dead b/c they didn't have to worry about tipping her off! soon (shaking my fist at my muse in defiance) i will try to get some danny/cory fluff in!_

_bluenose-to quote cory "I've had a...rough day!" she is the master of an understatement! i'm not sure how danny's going to react yet, since cory's going to have to tell him about the picture (which i know he's gong to be very unhappy about that!)--i wnated to update this yesterday, but life intruded (so i'm typing on my parents computer before church to try to get this up for y'all!)_

_axellia- thanks for smacking danny upside the head! he needs a little more of that! he's clueless and the mixed signals that cory keeps giving him are not helping one bit! ya know...i never actually thought about liz feeding them that info...but my muse does still like danny intact and whole and has no plans at this time to hurt him in the near future (i can vouch up to chapter 20, which i finished writing yesterday)... :)_


	17. Trance

_**Disclaimer**_**: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Ok. Here's some more fluff, with a sorta cliffhanger at the end…please don't kill me or my muse! Please, please, please R&R!!_

Chapter 17.

**Trance**

Friday night found both Cory and Lindsey in the lab. Cory was working on trying to trace back unusual deposits that were found on one of the computers during the raid at the warehouse.

"I can't figure this out," Cory said frustration etching her voice.

"You'll find it Cory. If anyone can, you will," said Lindsey.

"I know. It's just frustrating. I know, I'm just overlooking something. I just want to nail this bastard!"

"Ease up. You've done all you can tonight. Let's get ready to go out."

"Okay. By the way, how was your date?" Cory had a twinkle in her eye as she noticed that Lindsay started to blush.

"It was amazing. We had our first kiss. All I can say is…Wow."

As Lindsay and Cory walked back to the locker room to take showers and get ready they continued to talk about Lindsay's date the previous night. After a quick shower, Cory went to a locker where she had put her clothes. She got dressed in a white halter top that tied in the back--leaving most of her back bare, low-rise jeans with a rock-star belt and a pair of platform sandals. She let her hair down and it fell halfway down her back in curls. With her hair down, the bright red streaks that she had in her hair were evident.

Lindsay was dressed in low-rise jeans, an emerald green camisole and high heeled boots. Her hair was half-pulled back and wavy.

They turned and looked at each other simultaneously.

"Wow, Cory. You look hot!! You have a tattoo?" Lindsay point to her chest were part of a fairy was visible.

"You, too. I can't wait for Flack to see you. His jaw is going to drop! And actually I have a couple of tattoos." Cory turned so that Lindsay could see the twin dragons tattooed across her back at the base of her spine.

They turned as they heard the door open and Stella walked in. She was dressed in jeans, a low cut black top and high-heeled sandals. The three women looked at each other and grinned.

"Hey. I just saw the guys hanging around outside trying to look inconspicuous," Stella said with a smile.

"I knew that they just couldn't resist!" Cory giggled. She put her cell phone, credit card and driver's license in her jeans pockets. She grabbed her purse, put her weapon in it and snapped in shut. "I'm ready. How 'bout y'all?"

Both Lindsay and Stella followed her lead. "We're ready to."

Outside, Danny and Flack were talking.

"What do you thing they'll be wearing?" Danny questioned.

"Dude, I don't know, but with Stella, you know she'll look hot! And Lindsay…" Flack trailed off remembering their date.

"I know. I want to see what Lindsay and Cory look like. Lindsay doesn't strike me as a techno chick and I just can't see Cory in anything but a business suit. She's pretty and all, but she's such a…" Danny trailed off as he saw the women walk out of the locker room.

"Um…Damn!!" Danny could only stare at the three beauties with their backs to them, completely ignoring him. He saw the tattoo on Cory's lower back and bit back a groan of pure lust. Woman with tattoos completely turned him on.

"What?" Flack said. He watched as Danny seemed unable to form any words. He turned around and his jaw literally dropped. "Wow."

"Bye guys!!" The three women called as they walked out of the lab.

"Gawd!! Was that Cory? She has a tattoo!" Danny asked. Not waiting for Flack to respond his question he continued, "She looks like walking sex…"

At this Flack looked over at his friend. "Yeah. She looks amazing but, Lindsay looked just as good. What do you say about going out to the club, tonight? I heard Trance is a good spot to look at hot babes."

"Yeah. Let's get ready. We'll go to my place first."

--

The three women walked up to the line at Trance. With a little smile, Cory said, "Follow me."

She led the two women past the long line and up to the velvet rope. "Hey Bobby!! Can we go in?"

"Sure," the bouncer said, unhooking the rope. Amid protests from the other people in line, he let the three women in.

When the they walked in, Cory directed them to a little room. "Here's the office. Jerry will let us put our purses in the safe, so that way the guns will be safe."

She smiled and walked over to a distinguished looking man. "Hey Jerry! How's the IRS treating you?"

"Hey, Cor. They're treating me just fine after you helped me out. Who's this with you?"

Cory made the introductions as the women put their purses in the safe. "How's the crowd tonight?"

"The usual. Chad's here, by the way. He told me that if you show up tonight that you are his for at least one dance." Jerry's eyes twinkled at that. "You ever going to take him up on his offer?"

Cory snorted in laughter. "Now why would I do that? Chad's great and all, but he is so not my type!" She flipped her hair behind her back as she turned to walk out of the room.

Lindsay looked at Cory, a little surprised at how different she was acting. "Who's Chad?"

Cory looked at her. "Chad is a twenty-one year old playboy who keeps asking me out. Way to young for me. He's looks like a Greek god and is fun and all to hang out with, but he can kinda get on my nerves."

All of them looked around as the reentered the main part of the club. Neither Stella nor Lindsay had been here before, so she decided to show them around and the first stop was the bar. "First round's on me." Cory led the women to the bar and caught the attention of the red-headed bartender. "Hey, Arianna!! Can we get three Cosmos?"

The bartender looked up and noticed the women there. "Hey. It's my favorite FBI agent!! Who's this with you?" Cory made the introductions as Arianna made the drinks, flipping the bottles like something out of the movie, _Coyote Ugly_. Quickly she served the women the drinks. "These are on the house, hun. You know that Jerry would fire me if he found me charging you for drinks!"

Cory just smiled and sipped at her drink.

The women found a table and began to talk. Stella looked at Cory with a question in her eyes. "Do you come here often?"

Cory laughed. "Yeah. About once a month. This was the first place that Liz…" Cory trailed off for a second, remembering her fallen friend. "Anyway, this was the first place that Liz brought me to. I loved the scene so I kept coming back. Once the owner, Jerry, found out that I was an accountant, he asked me to look over some things for him. It turns out that the IRS was claiming that he did not report all of his income and was trying to take the club away."

"So what happened?" Lindsay asked.

"Oh, I saw where the mistake was made and helped him out of the situation. Since then he refuses to let me pay for anything here. Says that if it wasn't for me the club would have been closed, so he owes me."

Stella looked impressed. "Wow. I guess all that time in college paid off!"

"Yeah. It was good for something." Cory turned as one of the waitress came up with three new drinks for them.

Lindsay looked on in awe. "I could get used to this!"

Cory glanced over at the DJ booth and realized that her favorite DJ was on tonight. She caught his eye and gave him a little wave. He responded back with grin and a thumb's up and Cory knew that he would play some music especially for her. Quickly she finished her drink and got up to go to the dance floor. "Come on y'all! The night is young and we have so many dances to dance!"

Cory grabbed both of their hands and practically dragged them onto the floor. The current song was ending and it transitioned into _Firestarter_ by The Prodigy. Cory sang along to the song as she started dancing, wiggling her hips and moving her arms in time to the music.

Lindsay just stopped for a second. She wasn't exactly sure how to dance to this music, so she took her cue from Cory. To her amazement she saw Stella grinding against some random guy, having the time of her life.

The beat of the music changed a little, getting a little faster paced. Cory let out a small 'Whoo Hoo' as she realized that the Mortal Kombat theme was coming on. It was one of her favorite songs to dance to.

She looked over at Stella and Lindsay and realized that both woman were really good dancers. Already, Stella had a man practically drooling over her as she danced with him. Lindsay just looked to be completely into the music.

Cory felt someone come behind her and that person starting dancing with her. She looked over her shoulder and saw it was Chad. She stopped dancing long enough to give him a hug hello and then went back to her dancing.

Chad put his hands on her hips and began to dance in unison with her. By the time the song was over she also had another guy dancing in front of her. Finally when the music changed she turned to Chad and mimed that she was going to get a drink. She did the same thing to Stella and Lindsay to see if they wanted to come with her. Both women followed her off the dance floor.

When they got to the bar, Arianna had the water waiting for them, well aware of Cory's routine. Cory laughed at the sight. "Am I that predictable?"

Arianna grinned. "Yup. Besides with as much as you're sweating right now, you need to replace the water. I just wish more people were like you. Then there'd be less drunks!"

Cory, Stella and Lindsay quickly swallowed half of the water, dabbing some off it on their faces to try to cool off.

"So, Cory," Stella began. "Who was that drop dead gorgeous guy you were dancing with?"

"Yeah, Cor. Spill!"

Cory realized that they were talking about Chad. "Oh. That was Chad."

Both women's eyes got big at that. Lindsay was the first to attempt to speak. "That was your twenty-one year old playboy that wants to go out with you? Why did you turn him down? Girl, he's hot!"

Cory shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah. He's hot, but he still acts like a freshman in college. I'm so over those types of guys. Come on let's dance some more."

The three women went back out on the dance floor.

It was almost an hour before they took another break. Laughing and feeling about ready to collapse, they made there way back to the bar.

When Arianna came to take their orders, all three ordered more water and a Cosmo. As Cory was sipping her Cosmo, a man came up behind her and said, "Baby. Did it hurt when you fell?"

Stunned, Cory burst out laughing and turned to face the man. "Ya gotta be kiddin' me. You really think that will work with me?" She turned and looked at Stella and Lindsay who both were laughing so hard that they couldn't breathe. Luckily the man took the hint and walked away.

"Oh, my God. I can not believe someone actually tried that line!" Cory rolled her eyes and took another sip of her drink. She was still giggling when she felt someone tap her shoulder. It was Chad.

"Cor. How 'bout another dance?"

Cory thought about it and said, "Sure. Why not? I'll be back in a couple of minutes." She left the two women standing at the bar and went to dance with Chad.

Stella and Lindsay were still sitting at the bar when Arianna got a slight break. Arianna came over to them. "Wow. It's been a crazy night. How are you guys doing? Need more water. Another Cosmo?" Both declined, but decided that they wanted to know more about the bartender.

"So, Arianna. How long have you worked here?" Stella began.

"A couple of years. Jerry's a great boss and as you can tell, the club is a success. I like the scene. I was so glad to meet Cory. Most people who frequent the clubs are like Chad, club rats. It's rare to get a regular like Cory. I'm going to miss her when she goes back to Dallas."

The three women continued talking as Cory's one dance with Chad turned into two.

All of the sudden, Arianna looked up. "Well, hello hotties! I've never seen those two in here before and boy, are they fine." Both Stella and Lindsay turned around to look where Arianna had pointed.

Both gasped in surprise and looked at each other. It was Danny and Flack.

Arianna caught the look of recognition on both of their faces and casually said, "Ya know those guys?"

Stella was able to respond first. "Yeah. We work with them. The tall one is Flack and the other one is Danny."

Lindsay found her voice then. "What the hell are they doing here? Danny knows that this was supposed to be a girl's night out!"

Flack, being taller, was the one that spotted Stella and Lindsay at the bar and he pointed them out to Danny. The two men made there way to the bar. Once there, Flack went over to Lindsay and gave her a kiss.

Danny leaned in and ordered two beers. He turned and found Flack and Lindsay occupied, so he turned back to Stella, who was glaring at him. "What?"

"Don't give me the innocent look, Danny. I know for a fact that you were told this was a girl's night out. Why are you here?"

Danny was scanning the dance floor as Stella was talking to him. He didn't even hear her ask the question. He had just spotted Cory, dancing very suggestively with a good-looking guy.

_

* * *

_

pnkrckprncss- don't worry, therewill be some Danny/Cory fluff and angst in the next chappie! then after that y'all will find out why Cory doesn't trust anyone! after that, it's just a matter of time before we get some serious Danny/Cory interaction!

_chili-peppers-i was afraid that having them kiss so soon was going to be weird, but then my muse slapped me upside the head and told me to trust her (she was right, of course) since Flack/Lindsay have actually been dating for close to or a little over 2 months at this point! thank you! maybe we can start a campaign to add her to the show :) lol_

_kasmith101-glad you like fluffy endings! my muse doesn't let me write them too often b/c she's all about the angst! but every once and a while i get my way :)_

_tylerhiltongroupie53 - of course he showed up! he's just that way! he brought Flack, but no Mac... :( (i personally can't see Mac in a techno club!)_

_bluenose- he's knows a little about them (he's really trying to figure Danny out!) but they're not important to him right now...he's arrogant enough to believe that he is uncatchable!_

_axellia-i'm glad i got you going aw! that was the whole point of the kiss...as per danny, i know...just take a deep breath and repeat after me...danny, just do it! seriously, danny just needs to throw caution to the wind! don't worry, it's soon that everything will at least be out in the open! of course he turns up at the club...i mean, come on! he's totally into her... :)_


	18. Jealousy

_**Disclaimer**_**: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Wow. This was a really long chapter! My muse was off and running with this one. It starts out fluffy, but ends up with angst, so be warned! As always, please R&R! The reviews keep my muse happy and creative! By the way, if you go to my story, _The Good Stuff_, it contains all the smut from this story! I'll try to let you know when there is a smut chapter and this happens to be the first!_

Chapter 18.

**Jealousy**

Danny just stood at the bar, the bottle of beer hanging limply in his fingers. His heart had dropped when he caught sight of Cory dancing with the other man. The green eyed monster of jealousy awoke in him.

Stella followed Danny's gaze to see what he was looking at. Smiling when she realized it was Cory, she covered her laugh by taking another drink. At the same moment, Lindsay and Flack decided to come up for air.

Stella leaned close to Lindsay and said, "Hey. Let's go to the restroom for a minute."

Lindsay looked at Stella in confusion. Stella nodded to Danny and Lindsay smiled. "Okay. Hey, sweetie? Stella and I are going to go freshen up."

Flack nodded his head as the girls got up and made their way across the dance floor. It was only then that he noticed how distracted Danny was. "Messer. Earth to Messer? You okay?" Flack also followed Danny's gaze and saw Cory and a light went on in his head. _Oh. I see what's wrong._ Flack grabbed Danny's arm to bring him back to reality.

Danny shook his head. _Shit. I've been such a fool. Why couldn't she feel that way about me?_ Danny turned and saw that Flack had ordered two more beers, even though they were only halfway done with the first.

"Man. You fell hard. Tell her how you feel and put yourself out of you're misery!"

Danny tried to deny it. "Don't know whatcha talkin' about, Flack."

Flack snorted. "Please. That may work with other people, but come on man. I've known you long enough not be able to tell when you're into someone." Danny still tried to deny what Flack was saying to him, so Flack gave up. "Whatever, man. You keep acting this way and you'll definitely lose her. Here. Have another beer."

--

Stella and Lindsay had grabbed Cory on the way to the restroom. Cory was confused. "What are you guys doing?"

Lindsay decided to break the news to her. "Danny's here."

"Messer's here? Is he stalking me?"

Stella looked at Cory. "I don't know, Cory. We just wanted to warn you before you saw him."

Cory shook her head, trying to suppress the anger she felt. "Thanks. I appreciate the warning. I'm going to go back to dancing. Maybe if I ignore him, he'll go away."

Lindsay looked at Cory. "Ya know. If you just tell him how you feel, he might back off."

Cory just stared at the mirror for a moment. "You're right. I need to come clean with him. Maybe I'll get a chance tonight." Cory got a twinkle in her eye. "But not before I enjoy dancing with some more guys. You guys up for more dancing?"

The girls started to walk out of the restroom when Stella stopped. "Hold up just a sec." She pulled out her cell phone which had been vibrating in her pocket. "Bonasera. Yeah. Be right there. Sorry guys. I have to go. DB on the subway. This was fun. We should do this more often." Stella started walking to the office to pick up her purse. "Bye!" she called over her shoulder.

Lindsay and Cory looked at each other. "That sucks. I guess it's just you and me now," Cory said.

"Yeah. Flack's here to. So maybe I'll get to dance with him."

Cory grinned slyly. "You know. When dancing to techno you can gauge how good someone is in bed by how they dance."

Lindsay blushed at the thought. "Really"

"Really."

"Now I really want to dance with Flack!"

Giggling the two made it back to the dance floor. Cory stopped and listened to the music a second. _Jericho_ by the Prodigy was just starting. "Sorry, Linds. It's The Prodigy. I have to dance to this! Dance with me!"

Lindsay agreed and both women started dancing.

Flack had been watching the women walk across the floor. He'd seen Stella leave a few moments earlier and from the way she was walking, she had to leave for work. He glanced over at Danny and noticed that he was on his fourth beer. "Danny. Don't cha think that ya might want to slow down on the drinking a little?" Danny just shrugged off his concern.

Flack again turned his attention to the dance floor. He noticed that Cory and Lindsay had stopped and then started dancing with each other. _Ohhhh. That is so hot! I wonder if I should point them out to Danny. Why the hell not!_

Danny felt Flack grab his arm and turned to tell Flack he was okay. "What?"

Flack rolled his eyes. "Look at the dance floor."

Danny just shook his head. "Why? So I can watch her throw herself at another man? I don't think so."

"Danny. Stop being an ass and look at the dance floor!" Danny turned around and almost groaned out load when he saw Cory and Lindsay dancing. There was barely any room in between them. _Is Flack trying to kill me? This is like every man's fantasy come to life!_ Danny found that he could not tear his eyes away from the two women.

In the meantime, Cory had positioned herself on the dance floor so that she could look at Flack. "Lindsay. You should see the look on Flack's face. He looks like he's about to faint at the sight of us dancing!"

Lindsay continued dancing and moved a bit closer to Cory. "I want to see."

Cory started dancing so that they would turn around. "Move with me and I'll turn us around."

When they got turned and Lindsay saw the look of pure lust on his face, she almost melted. She had never expected any guy to look at her like that and the fact that it was Flack, made her melt. She glanced at Danny and realized he had the same look on his face, but he was looking at Cory.

"Don't look now, but Messer had the same look on his face. And he's looking at you."

Cory blushed at Lindsay's comment. Lindsay's next statement made her jealous.

"Oh. Flack's coming over here!" Both women tried to act nonchalant as they continued to dance.

Flack walked up behind Lindsay and started dancing with her, putting her in the middle of him and Cory. He smiled a little when he saw that Cory's eyes were closed and she was completely into the music. He put his hands on Lindsay's hips and slowly drew her back against him. _Come on, Messer. Get a clue and come out here and dance with her._ Flack kept silently urging Danny to grow a pair. Finally, much to his relief, Danny got up and started making his way over. He leaned down, so he could whisper into Lindsay's ear. "Don't look now, but Danny might actually be making a move!"

Lindsay looked up and saw Danny stop behind Cory and start dancing. She watched as he reached out to put his hands on her hips, smiled and leaned back into Flack.

Cory jumped a little as she felt hands on her hips and quickly looked over her shoulder. She felt pure desire flow through her veins as she saw the look in Danny's eyes. Deciding to just be herself for a moment she started to dance with him. As the song changed to _Poison_ by The Prodigy, she turned around to face Danny and kept dancing.

Danny was in shock. She was not pushing away. In fact, she looked like she was enjoying herself. He gave himself over to the music and his desire.

The group danced for a couple more songs before the thirst finally became too strong. Cory was the first to leave the floor, walking up to the bar. The rest followed immediately.

Arianna walked over immediately. "You look like you're enjoying yourself tonight!"

"Strangely, I am. Can I get two more Cosmos and two beers for the guys?"

"Coming right up."

By the time the rest of the group had made it to the bar, Arianna had the drinks ready. Lindsay looked at Cory in thanks and quickly took a sip of her drink. Arianna also set down four glasses of water. One of which Cory drank immediately.

"Linds. Do you think we can go somewhere more private?" Flack asked Lindsay quietly.

Lindsay quickly looked into his eyes and nodded her head. She finished her drink and leaned over to Cory. "Flack and I are going to head out. You okay with that."

Cory was a little nervous to be left alone with Danny, but she saw the sparks that were flying between the couple and wondered how they had not burned down the club yet. "Go ahead. And Linds? Have fun!"

Lindsay blushed at her comment and quickly her and Flack left.

Danny was a little uncertain to where the couple was going but he was happy they were leaving. He wanted to spend more time with Cory. He was feeling a little light-headed, but he didn't know if it was from the alcohol or Cory's nearness.

Cory finished her drink and leaned to Danny. "Thanks for the dance Messer. I'm going to go out there again." She got up and left to go back to the dance floor.

Danny just sat there in shock. _She's walking away from me? What the hell just happened?_ Danny just ordered another beer in hopes that it would explain what just happened to him.

--

About an hour later, Cory was finally winding down her night. She was dancing with Chad again. "No Chad. I will not go home with you. Don't you ever get tired of asking?"

Chad gave her a smile. "No. I hope that one time you'll slip up and say yes!"

Cory laughed at that. "Not gonna happy, sweetie. Sorry! Look, I'd better go. I'm exhausted. It's been a really long day."

Chad leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. "That's okay, babe. I'll see you later."

Danny had witnessed the kiss to Cory's cheek and decided that he'd had enough. He quickly went to finish is beer as he saw Cory walking back up to the bar.

"Hey, Messer. I'm goin' home. You staying?"

Danny shook his head no and tried to get up as the world started spinning out of control.

Cory looked at Danny a little concerned. "Are you alright?" She grabbed his arm to steady him. "Arianna. How much has he had to drink?"

Arianna looked at him and thought for a second. "Six, seven beers. I think?"

Cory swore creatively, earning a disbelieving look from Danny. "Come on Danny. Let me get you home. You are going to have one HELL of a hangover tomorrow."

Danny allowed her to lead him out of the club.

--

Cory was worried as she led a very complacent Danny up the stairs to his apartment. Silently she took his keys and opened the door.

Danny was in a haze, not quite sure of where he was. "Where am I?"

Cory sighed patiently. "You're at home, Danny. Do you think that you can get undressed without passing out?"

Somehow the only part of that statement that Danny heard was the word undressed. "Sure baby, I can undress you." He leaned down to kiss Cory but she gently pushed in back.

"Not me, Danny. Can you undress yourself?"

"What's the fun in that?" He again tried to kiss her.

Cory was getting frustrated. She rolled her eyes and pushed Danny back with more force than necessary. In his drunken state, it caused him to fall on the couch. "Sorry. You okay?"

Danny shook his head to clear it and felt his anger rising. This was nothing like what he had planned. "No. I'm not okay. I'm confused here. I thought that…" he trailed off.

Cory's mind had no problem picking up where Danny had trailed off. "Oh. You thought a couple of drinks and I'd fall into your waiting arms. Whatever!"

"Come on, Cory. You've been teasing me all night."

Cory's eyes opened wide at that comment. She felt something snap in her. "Look, Danny. I'm not sending you any signals here." Danny put his hand up to stop the flow of words, but she just continued. "I didn't ask you to show up tonight. You came of your own free will."

"Not yet."

Cory's jaw dropped at what Danny had just said. "Whoa. Stop. Rewind. What the hell did you just say? Wait. Wait. I don't wanna to know. You know what Messer. You're an ass."

"Come on. You've been throwing yourself at guys like a slut all night. What's the matter? Am I not good enough for you?" He grabbed her arm.

Cory felt her blood pressure skyrocket at the fury she was feeling. She shook his arm off. "Danny. You're drunk. I am not talking to you about this right now." She turned to leave the apartment.

Danny grabbed her arm again to stop her from leaving. "Don't leave. You're mine…please don't leave me."

The next thing that he knew, he was lying on his back after she had turned and punched him with a good right hook. "Don't EVER do that again, Messer. And for the record, I'm not a piece of property. No one owns me. Good-night." Cory walked out of the apartment.

--

The next morning, Danny woke up on the floor of his apartment, not remembering anything that had happened the previous night. _Why do I hurt all over?_ Wearily he dragged himself into the bathroom to take a shower. As he glanced at himself in the mirror, he realized that he had a black eye. _What happened last night?_ He hoped that Flack would be able to fill in the blanks. Rubbing his hands over his face in weariness, he got into the shower to get ready for work.

--

When Cory woke up she was still upset with Danny. Logically her mind told her that he was drunk and not responsible for his words, but the other ninety-nine percent of her brain disagreed, vehemently. She was glad that she didn't have to face him, and then she remembered that she had left her laptop at the lab. _Damn. I'll have to go and pick it up before Monday._ Groaning in frustration, she turned over to go back to sleep.

--

When Danny got to work, he immediately looked for Flack. He found him in the break room. "Hey, Flack. What happened last night?"

Flack turned and was shocked to see that Danny was sporting a black eye. "What happened to you?"

"I don't know. I was hopin' that you could tell me."

"I don't know, man. Last I saw you, you and Cory were having drinks at the bar." Flack quickly filled Danny in on some of the higher points of the night. "I'd ask Cory if I were you."

"Thanks, man." Danny pulled out his cell phone and dialed Cory. "Come on. Pick up. Hey, Feebie. It's Danny. Listen. I don't remember much of last night, so I was hoping that you could help fill in some blanks. Call me when you get this message."

Danny hung up the phone and got to work.

Around six o'clock that night, Cory decided it would be safe to go to the lab to get her computer. She figured that Danny would have already left by then.

When she got there, she went into the lab where she and Lindsay had been working. Lindsay was in there. "Hey, Linds. So…spill. What happened when you and Flack left last night? Do you and him…." Cory looked at her, pleading with her eyes to give her the scoop.

Lindsay blushed. "Yeah. I just couldn't control myself after all the dancing."

"So…how was it?"

Lindsay groaned. "Wow…just…I don't have words. I've never felt that fulfilled in my entire life!" The two continued to talk. Lindsay decided to change the subject. "How'd Danny get a black eye?"

Cory looked away quickly, trying to hide her anger. "I don't want to talk about that right now. Look, I just came to get my laptop. I figured that Danny would be gone by now. So I'd better go."

"But, Cory. Danny's still here. He's working until eight tonight."

Cory just closed her eyes. When she opened them, she saw Danny looking at her through the glass. "I gotta go, Linds. We'll talk later."

Lindsay watched as Cory tried to make a hasty exit, but Danny stopped her. "Hey Feebie. Can you help me fill in some blanks from last night? Like how I got a black eye?"

Cory tried to ignore Danny but he was persistent. "Danny. I really don't think you want to talk to me right now."

Danny looked at her confused. "No. We're going to talk. I know I missing something and you're going to help me fill it in."

Cory just sighed. "Fine. Let's go to the roof. I don't think you want everyone to hear what happened."

The elevator ride up to the roof seemed to take an eternity. When they got up there, Cory walked to the wall and looked out over the city.

"Look, Danny. I'm going to say this once. So pay attention. What you did last night was inexcusable."

"What did I do?"

"Don't play that game with me. I didn't ask you to go to the club last night. Hell, I flat out told you that I didn't want you to be there! But ya followed me anyway. While we're on that subject…when I say that it's a girl's night out. I mean it. Girls only."

Danny was growing more and more confused. He obviously knew that something had happened, but it didn't look like Cory was going to tell him what. He was growing angry. All he wanted to know was what had happened. "Look. I don't know what crawled up your ass and bit you to cause you to be so pissed, but lay off. All I want to know is what happened last night."

Cory felt the control on her temper slip. "Ya know what. Screw you, Messer! Just leave me alone. I never want to see you again, unless we're working on a case. You got that Detective? Is that a clear enough signal for you?"

Danny felt his temper break, too. "I don't have to take his. Fine. You don't want to tell me what happened, then screw you too! I'm outta here." With that, Danny made his way back to the door to go inside and Cory fought the urge to take off her shoe and throw it at him.

* * *

_axellia-I know...I love that tune, too! I was actually listening to a dance mix I made when I wrote both these chapters, so all of the music in them, I own and dance to! If Flack manages to "detect" your number, will you have him pass mine onto Danny? He needs some much luvin' after this chapter! Hope you liked the dirty dancing and the fireworks!_

_tylerhiltongroupie53-oh, yeah. the tattoo will definately come back to distract Danny some more!_

_chili-peppers-I glad that I can brighten your day! It makes mine to get reviews!_

_Which on the topic of reviews...only 3 for this chapter? I feel crushed! ( :p )_


	19. Memories

_**Disclaimer**_**: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Here it is…the long awaited chapter that reveals Cory's past!! Hope y'all like it…it's actually the first chapter that I fully completed before I even started to write the full story down! Please, Please R&R…tell me if ya loved it, hated it…what you think should be changed….ect…as always, the more reviews, the happier my muse is!! (lol)_

**A/N #2:**_ Okay, y'all...I have a challenge for you. I want to hit 100 reviews between this chapter and chapter 20! If that happens, whoever who makes review number 100, I will add you to this story! (wink, wink) I have faith that y'all can make it!_

Chapter 19.

**Memories**

After Danny left, Cory stood on the roof of the lab, deep in thought. She had run out of anger and was just depressed now. She looked across the city, sadly scanning the skyline. This is how Lindsay found her.

"Cory? You okay?"

"I guess."

"You want to talk about it?"

"I don't know."

"What happened? I saw Danny storming down the stairs."

"I just lost it. I said some horrible things to him, but I was just so…so pissed off! I mean…the things he said to me. I just exploded. I've never lost control like that before. What can I say…Irish temper," Cory said with a sad smile.

"What _did_ he say to you?"

"Last night, he called me a slut!! I mean me? A slut? No way!! I had taken him home because he was so drunk...and then when I was trying to leave he grabbed my arm and said that I was his. After he said that, I just snapped and punched him. The worst part is that he doesn't even remember!! Do you know how many guys I've been with?" At Lindsay's nod no she continued, "Two. Exactly two. Does that make a slut? I don't think so!!"

"Who?"

"Well, I lost my virginity in high school. I was drunk."

"And the second?"

"My fiancé."

"You were married?"

"No, we never got married. Carlos Ortiz killed him the day before my wedding."

"Carlos Ortiz!!"

"Yeah. Why do you think that I was taken off the case 7 years ago?"

"What happened?" asked Lindsay.

"I don't know if I should tell you. Even my superiors don't know the full story. But for some reason I just need to come clean with someone. But not here. Can we go to my place?"

"Sure."

--

When they got to Cory's apartment, Cory looked around somberly. "I need a drink to do this," she muttered. 'Can I get you something? Glass of water, some wine, a beer?"

"Water's good."

With that Cory went into her kitchen and fixed a glass of wine her herself and a water for Lindsay. She went back into the living room and handed Lindsay the water. "I need to go change first." Cory went to her bedroom and changed into a pair of yoga pants and a camisole. Walking back to the living room, she drew a deep breath and tried to calm herself. With another deep breath she settled onto the couch and curled her legs under her.

"Let me start at the beginning. I grew up in Dallas. Not a bad part of the city or anything; it was nice. I was a brain in high school. Always on the A Honor Roll, graduated Magna Cum Laude. That's were I met Carlos."

"You know Ortiz?"

"Yeah. We were in the same grade. I tutored students after school. You know, I wanted to help people. One of those people was Carlos. His parents had just been killed in a car accident. His grades had dropped and he was in danger of failing his senior year.

"His algebra teacher came to me and asked me to help him out. So I did. I began tutoring him around Thanksgiving. He's smart, Lindsay. If he'd had the chance he could have graduated at the top of the class. He understood everything. He was the best student I ever had."

"When did you sleep together?" Lindsay asked.

"How did you know?"

"I'm a CSI; it's the way you were talking about him, calling him by his first name. Good memories."

"It was during the Christmas holidays. My parents had gone away to visit family so I invited Carlos over, so he would not be alone. We started drinking and one thing led to another…"

Intrigued by the fact that Cory was still calling him by his first name, she urged her to continue. "What happened next?"

Cory grimaced. "I had the typical next day regrets. I told him that I just wanted to be friends. I thought he was alright with that. We stayed friends. Actually, we went to prom together." Cory smiled at the happy memory.

"Not long after prom, he got really into a gang, Mala Suerte. The sweet, smart, ambitious guy that I had come to know…just disappeared. He stopped hanging out. He stopped coming to the tutoring sessions. He grew distant."

With this Cory got up and started pacing.

"Do you want another drink? Something to eat?"

"I am getting kinda hungry?"

"Let me make something to eat while I gather my thoughts."

Lindsay followed Cory into the kitchen. Cory grabbed a dish out of the freezer.

Lindsay asked, "What is that?"

"Homemade pasta sauce. I made lasagna again a couple of weeks ago and this is the left over sauce. I just need to defrost it and I can make it into spaghetti sauce." With this, she put the container in the microwave and set it to defrost. In the meantime, she got a pot out of her cabinet and filled it with water. Once the sauce was defrosted, she put the spaghetti in the water to cook it and added tomato sauce to the pasta sauce to thin it up.

Once the spaghetti was done, she and Lindsay helped themselves.

"Okay. Where was I?"

"Wow, this is fabulous…I've said it before, I have to get the recipe. Ortiz had gotten involved with the gang," Lindsay prompted.

"Oh. So, then we graduated. He didn't even come to graduation. It was too "normal". I had been accepted to Harvard, so I moved to Massachusetts. I graduated 4 years later with both my bachelors and masters in accounting. My senior year, I got an internship at an accounting firm that specialized in forensic accounting. I had found my career path. It was the perfect thing for me. After graduation, I moved back to Dallas.

"A couple of weeks later, I was grocery shopping and I ran into Carlos. We talked for a while and caught up with what we were doing. It turns out that he had gotten even deeper into Mala Suerte. He asked me out.

"I told him that I didn't think that we should hang around together, since I was trying to get hired at the FBI. A couple of weeks later I got hired at the Bureau."

"Did you ever see Ortiz again?"

"Yes. But not until much later. I was a changed person the next time I saw him."

"What changed you?"

"About six months after I got the job, a case I was assigned to involved Mala Suerte. The Bureau asked that I try to track down their money sources. It was the most challenging task I had taken on as of that time.

"I worked closely with a team from the gang unit. There I met James Hogan." Cory's voice started to waiver. She smiled bravely. "He was gorgeous. Six feet of grade A man! We clicked immediately. After a couple months we started dating."

Cory took a deep breath and paused for a moment, trying to get the courage to continue. "Six months later, he proposed. I was surprised. Of course I said yes. I spent months planning the perfect wedding. Then…" Cory broke off, too choked up with tears to continue.

"Cory, it's okay." Lindsay wrapped her arms around Cory, trying to comfort her. "Come on. You know you've held this in for too long. Just let it out."

Cory continued to sob uncontrollably until there were no more tears. Lindsay went to the bathroom to get a cold wash cloth to wipe off her face.

Lindsay asked, "Are you okay now?"

"Not okay. But I think that I can continue." Cory took another deep breath.

"Then, the night before my wedding there was knock on my door. When I heard the knock, I knew something was wrong. I opened the door and…and James' supervisor was there. I took one look at him and I knew James was dead."

"What happened?"

"Mala Suerte broke into his apartment. He had been tortured, all his fingers broken, both his legs broken then was shot him five times in the chest in a cross pattern."

"My God, just like the human slavers," Lindsay breathed.

"Yeah. Ortiz's signature kill, it started with James. Whenever he kills someone, whether it is an underling or someone that he wants to kill to send a message, he does that. I was…devastated. I couldn't eat, sleep, anything. I sank into the deepest depression of my life. The only thing that kept me from killing myself was my pure hate. I wanted to kill Ortiz. I think that if I had found Ortiz the first year after James' death and would have killed him and then killed myself. I took leave from the Bureau for six months. I still see a psychiatrist once a month to try to put this behind me."

Lindsay noticed that Cory had stopped calling him by his first name, and was just using his last name. "So that's why you were taken off the case. You were too personally involved in the case."

"Yeah. I found out a couple of weeks after it happened that Ortiz had moved to New York. So I tried to move on."

"Have you dated since then?"

"A couple of times. Only once did I let it get past the first date." Cory looked down at her hands. "It ended…badly."

"How badly?"

"He was killed. By Ortiz."

"What?! How did he know who you were dating from 1500 miles away?"

"He was having me followed. Get this. The message that they found scrawled in his blood was 'You slut. You're mine. This is what will happen to any man who touches you.'"

"He's crazy! Why is he so focused on you? It's insane!" As Cory's words sank in Lindsay realized why she was so mad at Danny.

"Yeah. Ortiz has just gotten worse over the years. That was two years after James died. I haven't dated since."

"I can see why you were so upset with Danny. His words brought back all those memories, didn't they?"

"That's why I lost it…Why? Why does he do this to me? I just wanted to…" Cory broke down in sobs again. Lindsay tried to calm her but was unable.

Lindsay held her in her arms until her sobs slowed and slowly her breathing became slower. Lindsay looked down at Cory and realized that she had fallen asleep. She got up and got a blanket to cover her up. Muttering under her breath about the shortcomings of the male gender, she cleaned up the kitchen and let herself out of the apartment, intending to go read Danny the riot act.

--

It was 3 am before Lindsay got to Danny's apartment. She was still pissed off at what Danny words had made Cory relive.

She pounded on the door until a disheveled Danny opened the door.

"Montana? What the hell is going on?"

"You, Messer, have a lot to answer for!!" Lindsay yelled. "You stupid, insensitive, arrogant BASTARD!! You…You…." Lindsay trailed off, too enraged to speak.

Danny looked at her, confused. "What in the hell did I do to you, Montana?"

"It's not what you did to me, you pig! It's what you did to Cory!"

"What?"

"You're insensitive words caused her to relive some very painful memories. Memories that she thought she had put behind her. How could you say such a thing to her?"

"I was drunk, Montana. Not exactly like I was on my best behavior. I don't know why I said what I said. Hell, I don't even know what I said!"

"I do. You like her, but you won't act on your feelings. Then when your guard dropped, you acted like a jealous lover who saw his honey cheating."

"I don't like her! Even if I did, she made it very clear that she is not interested in me." Danny exclaimed.

"_Me thinks you doth protest too much_." Lindsay quipped.

"No, you're wrong. She's like a co-worker; a member of the team."

"Yeah, right, Messer." Lindsay started giggling as she realized the root of the problem. Danny was in love with Cory, but he couldn't admit it.

Just then, both of their cell phones rang.

"Messer."

"Monroe."

"Be right there," they both said in unison.

"Mac wants me to pick up Cory on the way," said Danny.

"No way. I'm not letting you near her. She's been through enough."

"Montana. It's Mac's call."

"Whatever. I'm going with you. And we're stopping to get something to drink first. Where in this city can you buy Dr. Pepper?"

As Danny was getting dressed, Lindsay tried to call Cory to warn her, but her phone was turned off and kept going straight to voicemail. Sighing, she hung up the phone when Danny walked out of the bedroom and grabbed his keys. In silence they drove to Cory's apartment.

"I'm comin' up with you Montana."

"Whatever."

Together they walked up to Cory's door and knocked. After a minute with no answer, Lindsay used the spare key that she had borrowed to lock up after she left.

Lindsay and Danny heard some whimpering coming from the couch. Lindsay went over to her.

"James…Oh, God….no," Cory whimpered in her sleep.

"Cory…Cory. Wake up, honey. It's just a dream. Come on, wake up," Lindsay murmured, trying to wake the dreaming woman.

Danny looked on, reality setting in on how deeply Cory was hurt. He didn't understand why Cory was upset, but realized that lashing out (however inadvertent) was the stupidest thing he had ever done. He was also trying to figure out who James was.

All the sudden Cory sat up calling out James' name.

Lindsay tried to calm her. "Cory, it's just a dream. Come on, snap out of it."

"Lindsay? You're still here?"

"No, I came back. Danny's with me. Wait! Don't yell at me. We're here about a case. Two bodies have been found. One of them is the man that you said was Ortiz's right hand man, Hector De La Cruz. Mac wanted us to pick you up and go to the scene," Lindsay explained.

Cory wiped her eyes. "I'll go get dressed."

After Cory left the room, a sober looking Danny looked at Lindsay. "I really screwed up, didn't I?" At Lindsay's nod, he continued. "I think I'm goin' to back off. Give her the space she asked for. Who's James?"

"That's her business if she wants to tell you."

They were interrupted as Cory walked back into the room.

"Oh, Cory." Lindsay said, trying to lighten the mood. "I have a DP for you."

"You are the most wonderful person in the whole world. I really need a Dr. Pepper right now." Cory hugged Lindsay. "Thank you for being thoughtful. We better not keep Mac waiting."

With that, the three left the apartment.

* * *

_screaming-poetically-sorry about the missing scene...i don't really write sex scenes very well and i really did try...but i just couldn't get it to sound right, so i deleted it. maybe if cory and danny can get that far, i'll have more luck!_

_tylerhiltongroupie53-glad you liked the drama...the conflict will get resolved soon. of course the tattoo (the dragon one) will come back into play...it makes danny drool!_

_kasmith101-yeah, this drunk danny just pissed me off! don't worry, it was necessary to get this chapter! he will never be that way again!_

_chili-peppers-glad you liked it! i liked the idea of them fighting (and also her punching him out!) but i really did not like having to write danny like that, but alas...it was necessary._

_axellia-i'm glad i was able to make your workday go by faster! you inspired me to complete chapter 22 today, so thus...another update! i'll warn you, it may take another couple of days until i update the next chapter! btw...LOVE the whole Monty Python ref! (now i have "she turned me into a newt! a newt! i got better." stuck in my head) and for all those who this comment was lost on go watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail immediately and you'll see what i'm talking about! and yes, he so needed to be smacked upside the head, which is why she punched him!_

_bluenose-sometimes i think so, too...but it'll work itself out (cory will probably eat some crow!)_


	20. Echo

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Ok guys…more about Cory's past and some interesting info here about other people from her past…as always, R&R! the more reviews that come in, the faster my muse is making me write! Remember the challenge! If I up to a total of 100 reviews with this chapter, whoever writes the 100th review will get a special mention in my story as a character! Only 9 reviews to go! Y'all can do it! (i'm just a review slut...:p)_

Chapter 20.

**Echo**

The ride to the crime seen was silent. Cory was staring out the window lost in her thoughts while Lindsay and Danny seemed to realize that now was not the time for conversation.

Cory was looking at the buildings flash by but was not really seeing them. She knew that she needed to apologize to Danny for being such a bitch to him, but she hated having to apologize at all.

When they got to the crime scene, Danny went up first after Lindsay had given him a look. He just silently took his case and walked away, still shaken by seeing Cory awoken by an obvious nightmare about a guy.

Lindsay on the other hand, wanted to make sure that Cory was okay. "Are you alright?"

Cory just looked at Lindsay. "I'll be fine."

Lindsay admired the strength that Cory was trying to portray. "You were having a nightmare about James' death, weren't you? And it isn't the first time."

Cory nodded her head. "Yeah. It's a reoccurring nightmare that I had every night the first year after he was killed. I've come to terms with it for the most part, but occasionally…" Cory just grinned wryly as she trialed off.

Lindsay understood. "Let's go on up." Lindsay grabbed her case and the two women walked into the apartment building.

Meanwhile, Danny was already upstairs, beginning to process the scene. He looked at the Caucasian man and something began to bother him. "Mac. I think I've seen this guy before. Maybe he was in the pictures that Cory showed us, but I definitely recognize him from somewhere."

Danny heard Lindsay and Cory coming up the hall. "I'll ask Cory when she gets in."

Danny looked up as the women walked into the room. "Cory. I've seen this guy in a photo somewhere. Was it one of the surveillance photos?"

Danny watched as Cory looked at the bodies and as soon as the blood began to drain out of her face he was beside her side. He caught her body as she passed out. "Damn it. Now I know where I've seen this guy before. He was in a photo that Cory has on her fridge." He picked her up easily and at Mac's okay, walked outside with her.

Once he got down the stairs, Cory started to wake up. He looked at her. "You okay, Cory?" Cory just shook her head no. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Cory drew a deep breath and tried to talk. "No…not right now. Can you put me down, please?"

When Danny set her down gently, Cory sat on the curb and put her head in her hands. Cory looked at Danny. "Danny. I'll stay right here, but go do your job. I promise, I'll tell all y'all everything."

"You better." Danny turned to walk back into the apartment, his heart still in his throat from watching Cory pass out.

Cory watched Danny walk away, feeling the depression set in. _"I can't do this again. I can't go through this rollercoaster of emotions."_ As she sat on the curb, she saw that one of the officers was smoking. Sighing, she got up and went over to him. "Can I bum one?" The officer nodded and handed her the cigarette and lighter. She drew a deep drag from the cigarette and almost sighed in relief. _"I'll only smoke this one. How long has it been? 3 years since I quit smoking? I knew I had a breaking point that would start me smoking again and I guess that this is it."_

When Danny got back to the apartment, Lindsay immediately began to question him. "How is she? Does she need to talk? Should I go down there?"

Danny put up is hands to mock trying to keep her away from him. "Whoa. Back up, Montana! She was awake by the time I got outside. She promised to stay there and tell us the whole story back at the lab. I for one want to get this scene processed and get back to the lab."

Mac nodded his agreement. "I agree. Let's see if we can get this wrapped up."

(A few hours later, the crime lab)

Cory sat in the break room, staring at a cup of coffee. She watched silently as the whole team filing in. Mac looked at her expectantly.

"I guess I owe y'all an explanation."

She looked up to see all the team, except Lindsay, looking at her expectantly. She inhaled and decided to just jump into the story.

"I know Carlos Ortiz. We went to high school together." The group gasped in unison at that. Cory was surprised that her ears didn't pop from the loss of air pressure. "We were…close."

Danny decided to voice his thoughts. "How close?"

"We were intimate." Cory rushed on. "It was just one time…we were drunk. Stupidest mistake that I ever made. Anyway, moving on. He started getting into the gang life. I knew that I didn't want any part of that so…we drifted apart."

Cory looked down at her hands, trying to get the courage to go on. Sighing she picked up the story once again. "So after I graduated college, I got a job at the Bureau. One of the cases I was assigned to was Mala Suerte. I was tracking down the money sources."

Cory looked at Lindsay who encouraged her to continue. "To make a long story short, I met a great man. James. We feel in love and he proposed." Danny felt an unexpected surge of jealousy go through his system. Then his brain kicked in and he thought about the picture on her fridge. "The day…" Cory trailed off, unable to continue. She looked helplessly at Lindsay.

Lindsay nodded, letting her know silently that she would continue for her. "The day before their wedding, Ortiz killed him. Same signature as the human slavers."

Danny looked up in shock. _"I thought James was the guy in the picture that we just found dead? But if he's been dead for seven years, I guess not. Who the hell was that in the picture?"_

Cory drew a deep breath and continued with the story. "The signature started with James. I was taken off the case since I was too involved." Cory paused again and glanced down at her hands again. "It took me almost two years to start putting it behind me, but I did. I started dating again and…he was killed by Ortiz, as well."

Stella gasped. "That's horrible."

Cory kept looking at her hands. She didn't want to look into anyone's eyes and see the sympathy. This was why she didn't want to tell anyone about her past for fear that they would look at her differently.

After Cory was silent for a couple of minutes, Mac spoke up. "This doesn't explain why you fainted at the crime scene. What's going on with you?"

Cory got up and started pacing. "I know. It's just hard, Mac. I've never admitted a lot of this to anyone before." Cory looked down at her hands, which were shaking, before continuing. "I know both of those men. But I have a question, Mac. You said that you had found Ortiz's right hand man? How did you know that? We don't even have a picture of him…just a name."

Mac nodded and decided to fill her in on the information found at the crime scene. "We found a note taped to the door. It said _'Those who ascend to my right hand should be above suspicion. Any suspicion will cause you to fall from grace.'_ I assumed this to mean that the Hispanic guy that was murdered was his right hand man. Do you have any theories on that?"

"I would think that you read it right. It certainly sounds like something that he was say. That just leaves me very confused. Like I said, I know both of those men."

Hawkes looked at her. "You do?"

Cory felt herself begin to tear up again. She took a slow breath, trying to calm herself. "Yeah. That's why I reacted so strongly…" She took another slow breath trying to prevent the tears from flowing down her face. "The Hispanic man's name is Armando De La Cruz, but he's not a gang banger…at least not when I knew him. He was James' best friend."

Mac decided to probe for some more information. "How long has it been since you've talked to him?"

"About three years. It was the anniversary of James' death." Cory shuddered visibly at the memory. Danny started to move toward her, but stopped himself at the last second, remembering her declaration that she didn't want anything to do with him outside of work.

"Wait. You said that you knew both of them. Who is the other guy?" Stella asked.

Cory closed her eyes, feeling her throat close up at the memory of the sight. "His name is Michael. Michael Hogan…" Lindsay looked up in surprise. Cory felt her breath catch in her throat. "He's…he's…he's James's twin brother." Cory felt her control slip at this moment; the tears began to flow down her face.

Both Stella and Lindsay walked over to her, wrapping her in their arms. Stella shot a look to the guys and at the nod of her head they left the room. "It'll be okay, Cory. It's okay," Stella murmured.

Lindsay murmured the same things while rubbing her back. _"God. This was the worst thing that could happen to her after telling me everything last night. Although on the bright side, from the way Danny was looking at her, his feelings are deep."_

Once Cory brought herself back under control she looked up at the two women. "Thank you." She glanced in to room again and noticed that they were the only ones in there. "Where did the guys go?"

Stella smiled and said, "I thought that you might want some privacy so I had them leave. I take is James and Michael were identical twins?"

Cory just nodded her head.

"That explains why you fainted. It was like losing him all over again, wasn't it?" Stella continued.

"Yeah. It was like the last seven years had not even happened and I was back in that dark hole of despair. Stell, Linds, I can't go through that again. I barely made it through the first time."

Lindsay sat down next to her. "That's why you keep pushing Danny away, isn't it?"

"Yeah. I don't think I would survive if I got involved with someone again and Ortiz killed them."

Stella continued to gently probe Cory for more information and when she was done, she ordered Lindsay to take her home.

Meanwhile, the guys had retreated to Mac's office. "Hawkes, I want you to help Sid and Marty with the bodies. Get any and all trace off of them that you can. Danny, I want you to begin running background checks on the two men. Cory said that she hadn't talked to De La Cruz in three years. Let's find out what's been going on with him."

Flack looked up. "I'll see if any of my informants have any useful information."

The three men went to leave the office, but Mac's voice had them turning. "Remember, gentlemen. Try to be sensitive to Cory's feelings. I can't even begin to imagine what she's going through right now."

The three men nodded their agreement and left his office. Mac sat down at his desk and stared unseeingly at it. Part of him was angry that Cory had not told him the truth when she had given him the pictures of Danny. The other part understood that she was trying to put the past behind her.

He was still sitting at his desk, lost in thought when Stella walked into his office. "Mac. Hey, Mac!"

"Sorry, I was thinking. What?"

"I sent Lindsay to take Cory home. She's emotionally exhausted and is not going to do herself any good if she stays here. It will bring back too many memories."

Mac smiled warmly at Stella, she always knew what to do in times like these. He knew that he was not very good at handling emotions. _"Stella and I work so well together. She's good at everything I'm not."_ Mac stopped his train of thought, knowing where it was leading and he felt that he was not ready for that kind of relationship. "Thanks, Stella. You always know what to do."

Stella felt a rush of her happiness at Mac's words. "No problem. I just hope that we can catch this guy. I don't know if Cory will be able to take anymore emotional blows without breaking down."

Stella turned around and walked out of the office, going to find Danny.

"Hey, Danny. What are you working on?"

Danny looked up from the computer where he had been staring at the screen, lost in thought. "I'm looking into the two men's histories. Cory said that she had not talked to Armando in three years. I want to find out what happened three years ago to cause him to break contact. Also it's really strange that he was obviously connected to Mala Suerte now. That doesn't make sense with the history that Cory gave us."

Stella nodded. "I'll run the history on Michael Hogan. I talked to Cory a little more after you guys left the room and it's been two years since she's talked to him. She said that it was a little strange. They had always met every year on the anniversary of James' death, but two years ago she lost contact with him. She said that it was like he dropped off the face of the planet. She was worried, but when she contacted his family, they said that he called them regularly. She thought that marking James' death had become too painful for him and that's why he cut off contact." With that Stella sat down at the other computer and began to run a background check.

(A few hours later, Flack's Apartment)

Flack had just gotten out of the shower when he heard a knock on his apartment door. With just a towel on, he walked to the door and looked through the peephole. Grinning he pulled the door open when he saw that it was Lindsay.

"Hey, babe. Whatcha doin' here?"

Lindsay looked at Flack's still wet bare chest and almost forgot why she had come by. "Um…I came by to talk to you about Danny."

Flack was a little disappointed. "Messer? Why?"

Lindsay was still staring at Flack, trying to organize her thoughts. "Um. Can you put some clothes on?" Lindsay started giggling. "I can't seem to keep coherent thoughts in my head with you in nothing but a towel."

Flack started to laugh at that, tempted to just stay the way he was. He realized that there was something in her voice that told him that this was going to be a serious conversation.

Lindsay breathed a sigh of relief when Flack returned fully clothed. He sat next to her on the couch and put his arm around her. "What's going on with Messer?"

Lindsay laid her head on his shoulder. "You really need to talk to him. After we left Trance on Friday…he was a complete ass to Cory! He obviously got really drunk and jealous. He called her a slut and said that she was his... That's how he got the black eye. She punched him out."

Flack opened his eyes in surprise. "She's the one that gave him the shiner? Damn. Remind me never to get on her bad side! Why do I need to talk with him?"

"He doesn't remember what he said. Think about it, Don. Something that she did not tell you was that at the second murder, Ortiz wrote in the victim's blood that she was a slut and the she was his. Think about it. Danny said the same thing. It mirrored what Ortiz wrote in blood at the second murder. Can you blame her for snapping?"

Flack thought about it. "Damn. Messer is usually a little more…suave than that with the ladies. You're right. I'll talk to him and set him straight, as soon as possible. Can we change subjects?" Flack began to move his hand up Lindsay's arm. When his hand got to her chin, he gently lifted it and lowered his head to kiss her.

When Lindsay was finally able to think coherently again, she almost purred in satisfaction. "Sure we can change topics. What did you have in mind?"

Flack's answer was to claim her lips again as he began to unbutton her shirt.

**A/N:**

_tylerhiltongroupie53-i glad you liked her back story. like i said before, that is the first chapter that i completed. i'm glad that i finally got to post it! i'm glad that you caught on to the the history before i posted this!_

_axellia-i'm glad that i could surprise you! i hope that you keep trying to figure out where the story is going..i know for a fact there are still a couple of major plot twists coming! i posted this early, just for you! but seriously, i won't be able to update until Saturday night...i've got plans tomorrow, so... :( don't you just love Monty Python trains of thought? i'm so going to have to go watch Holy Grail again! now repeat after me...i will not hyperventilate while waiting for another chapter...i promise, it will definately be Saturday night at the latest when i update next!_

_the little corinthian-vacation? what's that? i haven't had one in years...hope your vacation was great! yes, that is still considered a hug...but stand in line! i'm first! ;D i understand being hungry! i think i was when i was writing the chappie and thus...good food!_

_chili-peppers-i love it when you review in welsh! (i so need to learn it, but you are teaching me slowly. i only speak a smattering of french and of course english!)_

_kasmith101-i'm glad you like her deep dark secrets...i hope that explains to everyone why she keeps blowing hot and cold when it comes to danny._

_bluenose-thank you! yeah...you have to admit, she was kinda being a bitch and poor danny was clueless! she should have been more honest with him about ortiz and she definately should have told him about the pictures._


	21. The Haunting Past

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Ok. This chapter is kinda short, but very necessary! Not much FM radio here, but loads of Danny and Cory! Will they come to their senses? As always, please, please, please R&R! They make my muse happy! Also the challenge is still in place...however is my 100th reviewer, i will write you (or a character of your choosing) into the story for at least one chapter!_

Chapter 21.

**The Haunting Past**

(The following day)

When Flack woke up he just looked at Lindsay asleep in his arms. _"Damn. I could get used to this. This is really nice. I've never been one to actually cuddle, but with her…it seems right."_ He carefully got up out of the bed, trying not to wake her. He walked into his bathroom and got ready to take a shower.

Lindsay woke up a few minutes after Flack had left. She smiled as she ran her hand over his pillow. She heard the water going in the shower and decided to surprise him. As quietly as she could, she opened the bathroom door and slipped in. She gave it a coupe of minutes, so that the air loss would not be evident, then walked over and pulled open the shower curtain.

Flack turned quickly as he felt the rush of cool air come into the shower and felt a smile come to his face at the sight of Lindsay standing there. "Wanna join me?" With a nod, Lindsay stepped in.

About an hour later, both were dressed again and getting ready to leave the apartment. Lindsay had to go home to change. Flack was going to try to catch Danny before his shift started and read him the riot act.

(Crime Lab, locker room)

Flack walked into the locker room right after Danny. "Yo. Messer! We need to talk."

Danny looked at Flack in confusion. "I didn't do anything to Montana. Why you want to talk?"

Flack just rolled his eyes. "This ain't about Lindsay, idiot. It's about Cory."

Danny interrupted him. "Look man. The woman asked for space and I'm giving it to her. Especially after what I just found out about Ortiz. I'm still feeling guilty over whatever I did to piss her off on Friday."

Flack just shook his head. "Would you like to know what you did?"

Danny got a steely glint in his eyes. "Ya mean you knew this whole time and didn't tell me?"

"Naw, man. She told Lindsay and Lindsay told me. Figured I'd give you a heads up."

"Oh." The anger directed at Flack left Danny's eyes. "So, what'd I do?"

Flack decided to be frank and just say it. "You called her a slut and then told her that she was yours. That's how you got the black eye."

"She got that pissed off at that? I'm confused, man."

"Danny." Flack let out a deep breath. "At the second murder she told us about? Ya know her boyfriend? Ortiz wrote that in the victim's blood." Flack watched as the realization sunk into Danny's head.

"Shit, man. She didn't kill me? She's got some control." Danny just shook his head in despair. _"If I had any chance before….I blew it. I'm not surprised that she punched me."_

"Look, Danny. I told you so that you would know and maybe apologize to her? I can't see her holding a grudge for something you said when you were drunk. Try telling her how you really feel." With that advice, Flack left the locker room.

Danny sat down on the bench and put his head in his hands. He was feeling very guilty and pissed. He just didn't know what to do. In frustration, he punched his locker.

"Locker do something to make you mad, Messer?"

Danny looked up and saw Lindsay standing there. "No, Montana. I did that all by myself. I really screwed up with Cory, didn't I?"

"Yeah. You did. But Danny, I've gotten to know her really well over the last couple of months. The only reason that you got to her was because she has feelings for you. She's just afraid that something will happen to you and honestly…I don't know if she would survive losing someone else."

Danny just put his head back down in his hands. Finally, he got up and went into the lab to continue researching the history of Armando De La Cruz.

(A couple of hours later)

Danny felt Cory when she walked into the room so he was not surprised when she sat down next to him.

"Hey, Danny. How's it going?" Cory felt awkward. She knew that she needed to talk to Danny in private.

"I'm trying to trace back what Armando has been doing for the last three years. What about you? You okay?"

"Not really, but I'm better." Cory stopped for a second, trying to figure out how she was going to say the next thing. "Can we talk?"

"Sure. What's on your mind?"

Cory looked around and realized that the room was not very private. "Not here. Maybe the roof?"

"Sure. Give me a couple of minutes to finish up here. I'll meet you up there."

Danny finished up the file he was looking at and then pressed save. _"I wonder why she wants to talk to me. Maybe this is the one chance I'll get to apologize."_ Danny got to the roof and found Cory looking over the skyline. "Hey, Cory. What did you want to talk about?" When Cory turned around, he saw how sad she looked and immediately wanted to comfort her.

"Danny." Cory smiled, but it was a sad smile. "I wanted to apologize to you. I was such a bitch to you on Saturday. All you wanted to know was what happened, but damn my Irish temper!"

"It's alright. After hearing about what Ortiz did to you, I think I understand."

"That's just it, Danny. I've let Ortiz rule my life for the last seven years. I'm not going to keep making that mistake. Let me tell you what happened." Cory blew out a breath at that. "First, let me tell you a little more of what Ortiz did to cause me to be so…" Cory trailed off, blinking tears out of her eyes.

Danny saw the tears and didn't fight the urge to take her into his arms. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort her. _"Damn. She feels good in my arms."_

Cory let him hug her, knowing that he was just trying to give comfort. "Danny. When Ortiz killed my boyfriend, he wrote a message to me in his blood." She pressed her face into his shoulder, drawing strength from him. "The message was 'You slut. You're mine. This will happen to any man who touches you.' I've been so scared since then that I cut myself off from my emotions."

Danny just tightened his arms around her, feeling her shudder at the memory. "That's okay. It's understandable."

"You see. You got really drunk so I took you home. When we got there, you tried to kiss me and I pushed you away. Then you called me a slut. I tried to leave but you grabbed my arm and said that I was yours. Something inside of me just snapped and I punched you. That's how you got the black eye. I'm so sorry."

Danny smiled, even though she couldn't see it. "Cory. It's fine. It's not like the eye won't heal. I was being an insecure, jealous ass. I deserved the black eye. I'm sorry that I put you through that. I just…" Danny trailed off, not sure if he wanted to tell her or not. "I just have never felt this way about anyone my whole life. When I saw you dancing with that guy, I lost it, too."

Cory pulled away from him and looked deep into his blue eyes. She could see the emotion simmering in them and felt her heart flutter at the thought. "Really? You were jealous?" Danny just nodded his head. "Oh, Danny." Cory threw herself back into his arms, not believing that it was true. _"He really does have feelings for me!"_ She let herself be happy for a minute or so, but she knew she had to tell him everything else.

Cory slowly withdrew herself from his arms. "Danny. As happy as that makes me, I need to come clean with you."

Danny felt his heart sink at that. He knew he was about to get shot down.

"I really like you, Danny. But I'm not sure if I can go out with you." Cory saw Danny open his mouth to protest. "Wait. Here me out. There are some things that I need to tell you."

Cory wrapped her arms around herself. "When James was killed…" she began. "I was lost. He was my life, my soul mate. Um…I fell into a deep depression. I almost killed myself. I couldn't handle it."

Danny felt fear at the thought of the pain that she'd gone through. He couldn't imagine losing someone who was that important to him. He was trying hard not to think about her actually killing herself. "What happened?"

"It was about a month after his death. I couldn't eat. Couldn't sleep. I had already tried to relieve the pain through alcohol and that didn't work. So I cleaned my house. When I was done, I cleaned my gun. I just sat there after cleaning my gun and thought that it would be so easy to end the pain." Cory closed her eyes as the memories washed over her.

Danny was finding that talking was going to be hard. His throat had closed up in emotion. "What stopped you?"

Cory opened her eyes again. "A couple of things. First, Michael called me. He knew that I wasn't doing so good. Second? Pure hate. I was determined to kill Ortiz first. If I had found him in the first couple of months after James' death, it would have been a murder/suicide. I still don't understand why he's obsessed with me. It's just…I don't have the words."

Danny thought about what she said. "I might have an idea. You said that you and Ortiz were…intimate in high school. Was he your first?" At Cory's affirmation, he continued. "Maybe that is why? If he was your first, then somehow in his twisted brain he thinks that you guys are meant to be together."

Cory shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe. That kinda leads into why I keep pushing you away." Cory started pacing. "God. I should have told you this, months ago. Mac knows. I'm surprised he hasn't pushed me about this."

Danny was a little concerned. "Tell me what?"

Cory bit her bottom lip. "Ortiz is stalking me. It's been going on for five years. It started after he killed Bill, my boyfriend. He started leaving me notes and pictures of who I had been with that day. It's gotten a little better over the last year, but…."

Danny followed Cory, grabbing her arm to keep her from pacing. "But, what?"

Cory tried to avoid looking in his eyes. "After Flack got hurt, you came over. The next day I found photos of you entering and leaving my apartment and a threatening note on my doorstep. The note said, 'You bitch. You're mine. Don't forget it.' That's when I tried to push you away."

Danny's heart almost stopped when he heard that Mala Suerte had threatened him and Cory's odd behavior started to make sense. "Aw, Cory. Why didn't you tell me?"

Cory just shook her head. "It meant admitting my feelings for you. I wasn't ready to do that. Do you see why we can't date? I couldn't stand to lose you." Cory started to cry.

Danny just pulled her to him, trying to comfort her. His anger at Ortiz was increasing when he saw how broken Cory seemed to be at this moment. _"I swear. If I ever get my hands on Ortiz, I'll kill myself. I don't care. He deserves it."_

"Cory. Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself. Remember Tanglewood? I learned how to stay alive. You're worth the risk."

Cory looked up into his eyes again. "Are you sure? Ortiz got to James and he was an FBI agent. I don't want you to take unnecessary risks."

Danny sighed and stared deeply into her eyes. "Again. You are worth the risk. I'm willing to pursue whatever we have if you are."

Cory nodded her head. "I need to take this risk. I can't let Ortiz run my life anymore."

Sighing in relief that he had gotten through to her, Danny pulled her back into his arms, silently vowing never to let her go.

**A/N:**

_chili-peppers- (blushing furiously) diolch! she has had it rough b/c of Ortiz...he's just like a bad dream that won't go away!_

_the little corinthian-don't lock them in a closet! she needs comfort right now...as you can tell from this chappie, Danny is more than willing to be the one that comforts her!_

_kasmith101- was this soon enough for you:D don't worry, soon they'll be doing a lot more talking!_

_pnkrckprncss-don't worry about it, but i missed you! i'm going back to updating every couple of days again...i just can't keep ahead of myself posting every day...work has gotten crazy again! also my awesome beta is going on vacation, so i have to make sure that i allow some extra time for that...i'm glad that you like it! i decided to continue the challenge...so you still have a chance to be no. 100!_

_axellia-don't worry about it:) ff has been a bit...um...tempermental lately! i'm glad that you only had to work a short shift...hopefully you get more than one day off a week! did you have enough time to think about Flack in nothing but a towel? i have to admit, as must as i am in lust over Danny, the thought of Flack in just a towel, still wet from a shower just drives me to distraction! i'll have to find a way to incorporate that back in!_


	22. The Cloudy Past

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N: **_Ok. So here some more fluff and angst...If you haven't noticed by now...they are starting to really work the Ortiz case...Hope y'all like the fluff at the end! And congrats to Axellia---she authored review #100! Yeah...breaking out the champagne here...Anyone want a drink? Slainte! As always, please R&R...the next couple of chapters have been hard for me to write...it's like my muse went on vacation and just left me with the story outline. I know where it's going but have no idea how it's going to get there!_

**A/N #2:** _Btw...since my beta is going out of town on vacation, it'll be about 2 to 3 days between updates for a week or so...PrincessG...you'd better be prepared to come back to quite a few chapter's to beta! i promise y'all that i'm going to do my best during this time to write as many chapters as possible!_

Chapter 22.

**The Cloudy Past**

When Danny and Cory finally came down from the roof, both had smiles on their faces. Cory was both worried and glad that Danny had decided to take the risk.

They went back to the computer lab so that they could work on finding out where Armando had been for the last three years.

A few hours later, they were still trying to piece things together.

Danny took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "So let me get this straight. The last time you spoke to Armando was three years ago on June 2. You had just marked thethird anniversary of James' death."

Cory shook her head somberly. "Yeah. I called him the next day, but I didn't get an answer. A week later, his cell phone was disconnected and no one has heard from him since."

"Okay. He's obviously connected to Mala Suerte somehow. Do you have any reason to believe that he would have tried to infiltrate to gang himself?"

Cory thought for a moment. "It's possible. That night, we had talked about how frustrating it was not to be able to get anyone to flip on Ortiz. I know that he was involved in gangs as a youth." Cory closed her eyes. "Oh, shit. Armando, why would you do something so stupid?"

"I don't know, Feebie. I do remember from the data that we got from you that Hector De La Cruz was not a name you had heard until three years ago. Did you ever think that it could be him?"

"No. No clue. I know he wanted Ortiz dead, but I didn't think he would go to that length."

Danny ran some more information through the computer. He noticed that the Armando's fingerprints matched a closed murder case. He pulled up the file and realized that his fingerprints were found at the scene of the dead drug mule.

"Damn. Cory? Armando's fingerprints match the unknowns that were at the drug mule crime scene."

Cory's eyes opened wide. "No way. There is no way that he would be involved in killing a woman. I just….I don't accept that."

Danny knew that what he was about to say was harsh, but decided to say it anyway. "The evidence never lies, Cory."

"I know. But still…I've known him for years, Danny. I just…I can't."

"I understand. I'll drop it for now. Moving on. We know that Armando was definitely upset enough with Ortiz to try to do whatever it took to catch him. So how did he get into the gang? I mean, Ortiz would have killed him sooner if he had found out. What did he do that made him so successful in integrating himself in?"

"I don't know, Danny. If I knew that, I could have my own mole in the gang."

Danny sensed Cory's frustration. "Look. Rome wasn't built in a day, and this is going to take time to put together. What do you say about dinner?"

Cory smiled. "As much as I'd love to? I'm exhausted. It took a lot out of me to tell everyone my past. I need some time alone."

Danny nodded. He understood. "That's fine. What about tomorrow. Say dinner and a movie?"

Cory smiled. "That would be perfect."

Stella and Lindsay walked in at that moment. Lindsay looked at the relaxed demeanor between them and smiled in happiness. "Hey, guys. We found out a little about what Michael has been up to. Turns out that he moved to New York two years ago. His job transferred him at his request."

Cory looked confused. "Really?"

Stella picked up the story. "Yeah. None of his co-workers knew him well. They say he was nice, came in did his job and no one saw him outside of work. All signs point to the fact that he lived a quiet life. No unusual activity on credit cards, bank accounts, nothing."

Mac walked in. "Michael Hogan's parents are here to identify his body."

Cory looked at Mac. "Mac. Let me do this. I know them. Maybe I can make it a little easier."

Mac got a knowing look in eyes. "I kinda figured that. That's why I came to find you."

"Thanks, Mac."

Cory walked into the lobby and saw Marlene and Matthew Hogan standing there, looking lost. "Matthew. Marlene."

Both of them looked up at the sound of their names. Marlene rushed over to hug Cory. "Cory. Is it true? Is Mike really dead?"

Cory looked over at Matthew. "Yeah. It is. The NYPD needs you identify the body. The detective in charge agreed to let me come with you, to try to make it easier."

Matthew nodded his head, swallowing the lump in this throat. "Thanks."

Marlene looked Cory in the eyes. "Honey, are you going to be okay doin' this? I don't want you there if it's gonna bring back memories."

Cory closed her eyes briefly. "Thanks, Marlene, but I was with the team when the bodies were discovered, so I think I'll be okay."

The three linked arms and Cory led them to the elevator. On the ride down, Cory struggled to keep her emotions in check. She wasn't sure how she was going to react, but she knew that she had to be strong for Marlene and Matthew.

Cory drew a breath when they got to the viewing room. "Okay. Whenever you're ready."

Both of them visibly steeled themselves for the sight that was to follow. Then Matthew looked at Cory and nodded. Cory opened the curtain. Sid moved the sheet covering Michael.

"Oh, God. My baby!" Marlene began to weep into Matthew's shoulder. He had tears streaming down his face as well. Silently Cory closed the curtain and went over and put her arms around them.

It took five minutes for Marlene to gain control over herself. "Why, Cory? Why does Ortiz do this to my family?"

Blinking the tears out of her eyes, Cory responded, "I don't know. But he will pay. I promise you that. Do you think that y'all can come back to an interview room so we can try to figure out what happened?"

Both of them nodded yes and with Cory turned to go back up the elevator.

About fifteen minutes later, they were settled in the room. Mac and Danny had joined Cory.

"Marlene. Matthew. I know this hard, but we need to get some information. I know the last time I talked to Mike was two years ago. Right after the forth anniversary. Why'd he leave Dallas?"

Matthew was the one to respond. "We don't know."

Cory looked at them. "How often did you talk to him?"

Marlene looked at Matthew. "Never. I haven't talked to him since the day he left."

Cory looked confused. "But you told me that y'all were talking on a regular basis."

Marlene looked down at her hands. "I lied to you Cory."

"Why. What happened before he left?"

Matthew looked at Cory and she saw emotion swimming in them. "Remember, Armando?" At Cory's nod, he continued. "He called on the anniversary. Marlene took the message. Mike called him back and the next day told us that he was leaving."

"Why didn't you ever tell me this? Why lie to me and say that y'all still talked?"

"He asked us not to. He told us that the reason he was leaving would upset you and you might worry. So before he left, he made us swear to him that you would never find out. I should have told you."

"Matthew. You couldn't have imagined that this would happen. Don't blame yourself."

Mac decided to jump in at this point. "When he left, did he say where he was going?"

Marlene looked at Mac. "No. He just said that he had something to take care of for James…the next day he was gone."

Mac looked at both parents, unable to imagine the pain they were feeling. "Mr. and Mrs. Hogan, thank you so much for your time. We'll be in touch." Mac grabbed Danny and they left the room.

Marlene looked at Cory after they had left. "When can we take our son's body home? I'd like to arrange the funeral as soon a possible."

"I'm not sure. The lab is still processing the evidence. I want to get him, Marlene. I need to get him. I will make sure that both of your son's get the justice that they deserve."

"Thank you. You're like the daughter that we always wanted. You're always welcome in our home, Cory."

Marlene and Matthew stood up and made their way out of the lab. Cory continued to sit at the table, lost in thought.

This is how Lindsay found her almost an hour later. "You okay."

"I'm fine. It's just hard. Mike was like the brother that I never had. Losing him, because of Ortiz, makes me want to kill someone. I never imagined that I could hate someone so much."

"Just let it go. Ortiz will get what's coming to him. Mind if I change the subject?" Cory shook her head at Lindsay question. "Good. What is going on with you and Messer?"

Cory just looked at Lindsay, with a dopey grin on her face. "I apologized to him and told him everything about Ortiz. And he still asked me out! I'm in shock. I would have thought that with the threat that Ortiz is, it would have scared him off."

"You don't give him enough credit. He grew up around those kinds of people. Messer doesn't scare easily. When are you guys going out?"

Cory blushed. "Tomorrow night. Dinner and a movie. Wanna help me choose something to wear?"

"Of course! You did such a great job with me!"

(The next night)

Cory was frustrated. Her day at work had been unbelievably busy and now she was running late. Muttering to herself, she walked into her hallway outside of her apartment and saw Lindsay waiting for her. "Sorry. Work was scary busy today and I couldn't get away any sooner."

"That's okay. I understand." Lindsay followed her into her apartment. "Go take a shower and I'll look through your closet. Dressy or casual?"

Cory shot a smile over her shoulder as she was walking to the bathroom. "Definitely dressy."

Fifteen minutes later, she was out of the shower and putting baby oil on her skin to make it soft. She took the time to blow dry her hair, which took another 20 minutes. She looked at the clock in the bedroom and realized that Danny was supposed to be there in thirty minutes. "Damn. I hate running late!"

Lindsay looked up at her muttered curse and smiled. "Don't we all? Men have it so easy! Here. Look at these outfits and tell me what you like."

Cory looked at the clothes that Lindsay had laid out and her eyes fell on a deep purple backless dress. It was a halter neck and would show the tattoo on her back off nicely. "It's gotta be the dress."

Lindsay smiled her approval. "That's what I thought, too. It's light enough to be cool in the heat and Danny will still be able to see your tattoo." Cory just raised her eyebrows at that comment. "Flack told me how much Danny drooled when he saw your tattoo the night we went clubbing. What can I say? I wanna see Messer drool!"

Cory just started to laugh. "I'll wear the strappy stiletto sandals with it. Okay. I've got to do my hair and makeup. What should I do with my hair? I know I'm leaving it down, but straight or curly?"

Lindsay thought for a moment. "Straight. I don't think I've ever seen you with your hair straight. How long is it when it is?"

"It goes down to right about the dragons."

"Wow."

"I know. That's why I always wear it up. It's too much of a pain to try to fix it in the morning. I'd better go heat up the straightening iron. I'll do my make-up and then my hair." Cory walked back to the bathroom and began her final preparations.

Fifteen minutes later her doorbell rang. "I'll get it for you," Lindsay said. She walked to the door and opened it.Danny was wearing a dark suit with a blue shirt and tie.He was carrying a single yellow rose. "Well, hello Mr. Messer," Lindsay drawled with an impish smile. "Ya clean up nice."

Danny looked shocked. "Montana, what the hell ya doin' here?"

Lindsay laughed. "I just came to help Cory get ready. She's running a bit late because she had to stay at work an extra hour, but she'll be ready in a couple of minutes. Now, since she doesn't have any family here, it's my duty to ask what your intentions are. Do you plan on having her home at a reasonable hour?"

Danny decided to try to side step the question. "It's up to her, Montana." Danny was about to say more when Cory walked into the living room. He almost swallowed his tongue. "Um…Damn, Cory. You look….amazing."

Cory smiled and slowly turned around so that Danny could see the whole ensemble.

Danny almost moaned out load when he saw the tattoo on her back. _"Oh…Is she…wow."_

Cory accepted the yellow rose when he handed it to her. _"That's so sweet. A yellow rose."_ Cory smiled as the song _The Yellow Rose of Texas_ began to play in her head.

Lindsay looked at the sparks flying between them and decided to leave, so that she would not get burned. "You guys have fun tonight!"

(The restaurant)

Danny had taken Cory to a small, intimate Italian restaurant for dinner. The main source of light was from the many candles place around the room.

Cory loved the atmosphere. It was so charming and romantic. They talked about everything, except work.

"So, Cory," Danny said and he picked up her hand. "When did you get the tattoo on your back?"

Cory smiled as she bit her lip. "That was the second tat that I got. The first one is this one." She moved the cloth on her top a little, so he could see the fairy. "I got this one after I graduated high school. The dragons were after I graduated college."

Danny licked his bottom lip; he was completely in awe of the fact that she had another tattoo. "Why dragons?"

"You're a CSI, I should make you figure it out for yourself, but I'll be nice. I was born in 1976, the year of the dragon in the Chinese Zodiac. Thus the dragons."

"I think it's hot."

Cory just blushed.

"You look cute when you blush. I'm glad that you said yes." Danny glanced down at his watch. "Ya know what? I think we missed the movie. It's after midnight."

Cory opened her eyes wide. "Really? Wow. _Tempus Fugit._"

"What?"

"Time flies. I've had a really great time tonight. Thank you for the best first date that I've ever had."

Danny smirked. "Best ever? Who've ya been dating? This was nothing."

The waiter came by at that moments and delivered the check. Danny paid the bill and discreetly added a huge tip. _"He deserves it. The service here was amazing tonight."_

Danny and Cory left the restaurant, slowly walking back to her apartment. Cory shivered in the night air. "Here, wear my jacket. You're cold."

"Thanks, Danny." Danny draped the coat around her shoulders and kept his arm there. They were content to walk in silence. It just felt natural.

They got to her door and Danny gently took the keys from her. He unlocked the door and gave them back to her. "This is my stop. I'd better let you go inside by yourself or I might not leave. Somehow this doesn't feel like the right time for that. _Arrivederci, bella. Mi sono divertito stasera."_

"What?"

"I had a really good time tonight."

"_Moi, aussi._ Me, too."

Danny drew Cory into his arms slowly. They looked deep into each other's eyes as Danny slowly lowered his head. He softly touched Cory's lips with his own.

Cory closed her eyes in pleasure. It had been so long since she had let herself feel this way. She gave her self over to the soft kiss and whimpered a little when Danny drew away.

Danny lifted his head, feeling somehow at peace. _"Buona notte, bella."_

Cory understood this time. _"Bonne nuit, mon cherie."_ She replied to him in French as she walked inside and shut her door.

Danny walked down the hall with a smirk across his face.

**A/N:**

_chili-peppers-yes they FINALLY admitted how they feel, but things are going to get dicey for them...why does Danny have to save her? Can't she save herself? ;)_

_bluenose-no, i've never read it...I'll have to check it out at Barnes & Noble (it's only my home away from home!) glad you like everything in the open...i had no idea until i wrote that chapter if i was going to let them get together before Ortiz was caught or not...but obviously my muse wanted some fluff!_

_screaming-poetically- (blushes in embarrassment)-yeah...she definately is complicated and she has her own past to deal with...that's why they will be such a great couple...they both have been there and done that...wow...you've really thought the plot twists out...but who says that Ortiz will take her hostage? if my muse is visting you up there, will you please tell her to come home? tell her i'll get her a Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper if she comes home right away! I haven't thought far enough in advance for kids, but I like the whole Claire idea. I was going to go with a boy named James. btw...the explicit version! OMG, it was soooo good!_

_axellia--first let me congratulate you for writing review #100...it made my night when i got it! just email me with your character info and I'll work it in somewhere around chapter 26 or 27...I'm glad you stayed up to read! Yeah,I AW'd when i wrote that line...it was sooo romantic-why can't I find a guy like Danny?(stop thinking about Flack in the shower)...don't worry, mine stays in the gutter! how'd you like the kiss? i had fun writing that part! and they may require your shot gun skills, soon. danny and her getting together is just going to piss off Ortiz even more (i mean, come on...he's crazy!), oh and stop thinking about Flack in the shower!_

_pnkrckprncss-i'm sorry that i've made you cry! i hope at least a little of them were happy tears! Yeah, you missed it by one...don't worry, i think i might do that contest again, later in the story (it's getting hard creating characters!) i'm glad you like where the story is going...i do too! (even if my muse is keeping me in the dark!)...as per flack and linds in the shower... _:D_ it just felt right, somehow!_

_kasmith101-of course there will be more "talking" in the future...along with angst, happiness, worry, anger, fluff...they still have a long, long way to go!_


	23. Revelations

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ I'm so sorry it took me so long to update. I meant to updated yesterday, but was still out of town. It may be a couple of days before I update the next chapter due to some problems at work! Another chapter….as you can tell from this, the Ortiz case is coming close to ending! Please R&R! My muse is still upset from her vacation, please, review and get her back into a good mood. :p Thanks!_

**A/N #2: **_I reposted this on July 9, 2006 to correct some grammatical errors!_

Chapter 23.

**Revelations**

When Cory woke up the next morning, she still was feeling giddy about her date. _"Danny was so romantic last night. I can't believe how happy I am."_ She walked into her bathroom so she could start getting ready for work. In a good mood, she decided to listen to music as she showered and turned on her radio.

She smiled in happiness as the song _Bring Me to Life_ by Evanescence was just starting to play. _"How can you see into my eyes, like open doors? Leading you down into my core, where I've become so numb…"_ Cory began to sing along with the music, feeling that it perfectly described how she felt about Danny. _"Without a soul. My spirit's sleeping somewhere cold. Until you find it there and lead, it back…home."_ Cory had to stop singing as she washed her hair, but she kept humming along with the song.

Humming, she finished her shower and got ready for work. She was just picking up her keys to leave when she heard a knock at her door. Puzzled about who would be knocking this early in the morning, she grabbed her gun and cautiously opened the door. "Can I help you?"

The man outside looked at her. "Are you Corrine Reid?"

Still being cautious, she slowly nodded her head.

"I have a package for you from the law firm of Pierce, Davenport and Lohman. If you'll just sign here."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Cory put her gun on the table by the door and signed where he had pointed. The man handed her an envelope.

Confused, Cory closed the door and locked it. She glanced down at the official looking envelope. She slid her finger under the flap and withdrew the folded papers. She opened them up and began to read.

'_Dear Cory,_

_If you're reading this, then I must be dead. I left my attorney with specific instructions only to deliver this after my death._

_Firstly, let me say how sorry I am. I never meant this to happen, but I knew what a dangerous game I was playing. I hope that my death has some meaning._

_Now let me tell you what has been going on. A year and a half ago, Armando called me. He told me that he had infiltrated Mala Suerte and was trying to gather enough evidence to put Ortiz away for James' murder. He asked for my help. He wanted a person to give the evidence to, so that he would not blow his cover. So I went to New York to help him. I didn't tell Mom and Dad and I told them to not tell you anything. I didn't want you involved in this, in case things went bad. I didn't want to put you through that again. Now I have no choice._

_So, I've rambled on for a while, trying to think of the easy way to break this to you. Here's the most important information for you. All of the evidence we've gathered…I put it in a safety deposit box at the Hudson United Bank on Broad Street. I've enclosed the key to the box. As a precaution when I opened the account, I added your name as a signer._

_Cory, I'm so sorry. I never meant this to happen. Remember how much I love you. You are the closest thing I have to a sister. I never meant to hurt you. I promise that James and I will continue to look out for you._

_I love you._

_Mike'_

Cory felt the tears sliding down her face, but didn't care. She took the key out of the envelope and sat down. _"Damn you, Mike. Why didn't you at least give me an idea of what was going on. I could have protected you!"_

Cory sat there for a couple of minutes, still trying to process what she had just learned. Still shaking with emotion, she opened up her cell phone. "Mac, it's Cory. Can you and someone else from the team meet me at Hudson United Bank on Broad Street? Yeah. I think that I might have found the reason that Mike was killed. Thanks."

Her next call was to Travis. "Hey, Travis. It's Cory. Meet me at Hudson United Bank on Broad Street. I might have some evidence on Mala Suerte."

"_Really? How?"_

"I'll explain later. Just meet me there in 20 minutes." Cory hung up the phone and grabbed her gun and coat and rushed out the door.

(Hudson National Bank)

Cory walked up to the bank, the first person to arrive. She waited patiently for the others to get there. Mac and Danny arrived minutes before Travis.

Travis acknowledged the two men with a nod. "What's going on Cory?"

"I told you about the case I've been working with the NYPD. The murder of Hector De La Cruz?" Travis nodded. "I knew both men. Their names were Armando De La Cruz and Michael Hogan. Armando was James' best friend and he had infiltrated the gang under the name Hector De La Cruz."

"Hogan?" Travis asked his eyebrows rising up in surprise.

"Yes. James' twin brother. This morning I got a posthumous letter from Mike. He said that the reason he came to New York was because he was helping Armando try to get evidence to put Ortiz behind bars for James' murder. He opened a safety deposit box here."

"Cory, I hate to burst your bubble, but we need a warrant." Travis cautioned her.

To this, Cory only smiled. "No we don't. When Mike opened the account, he listed me as a signer. In the letter, he included the key." Cory turned to Mac and Danny. "I hope y'all have extra gloves and plenty of evidence bags. I want this evidence processed by y'all, although I need copies of everything to take back to my lab."

Travis got a glint in his eyes. "Cory. Protocol states that any evidence be processed by the FBI lab."

Cory got a steely look in her eyes. "I know what protocol states, Travis. But if you don't remember, we had a mole in our team and I'm not taking any chances with this evidence being tainted or compromised." With that she turned and walked into the bank.

The three men looked at each other and followed her.

Inside the bank, Cory immediately went to one of the tellers. "Hi. I'm looking for a safety deposit box. My friend opened it and put me down as a signer. I have the key."

The teller just looked at her, bored. "Like I haven't heard that one before."

Cory's eyes lit up in anger. She took out her badge and slapped in down on the counter. The girl looked at her, her eyes wide. "Now that I have your attention. I need to know the box number."

The girl stammered something unintelligible and walked away, only to come back with her supervisor. "I'm Mr. Dean. How can I help you?"

Cory blew out an exasperated breath. "My name is Corrine Reid, FBI. A friend of mine, Michael Hogan, opened up a safety deposit box at this bank. He was murdered and I'd like to get into his box. I have the key and I'm listed as a signer on the account. Can you help me?" Cory was trying hard not to take out her anger on the man.

The man looked in the computer and then nodded to her. "This way, ma'am."

The group followed Mr. Dean to the vault. Mr. Dean led them to box number 6200.

Cory looked at the box number, her throat closing up. "Excuse me. How are the boxes assigned?"

Mr. Dean looked confused at the question, but answered her anyway. "We assign whichever one is free, although in Mr. Hogan's case, he specifically requested this box."

Danny looked at Cory as she was growing pale. "Cory. You okay?"

Cory nodded bravely. "Yeah. It's just the numbers. 6-2-0-0." Looking at the confusion on the men's faces, she tried to elaborate. "The date that James was killed was June 2, 2000. 6/2/00."

All the men went sober as the realization set in. Mr. Dean cleared his throat. "We should open the box, so I can leave you alone." Both him and Cory put their keys into the box and opened it.

Cory lifted the box to a table and then motioned for Danny to give her some gloves. With caution, she opened up the lid and looked inside; not knowing what to expect. "Wow. This is full of folders." Cory smiled as she looked further at the folders. "Just like Mike. It's all neat and organized."

She began pulling folders out. Some of them were labeled with dates, others with the specific type of content. "This is going to take time to work through. Let's start bagging it and I'll look at it further in the lab. I see a lot of computer discs so I'll need access to a computer to see what info is on them."

Mac and Danny agreed. Carefully they began to transfer the evidence into folders to take back to the lab.

(Somewhere in an unknown apartment)

Carlos Ortiz sat in a chair in front of the television. He was not watching it; he was watching the stunning woman in front of him take off her clothes. He had chosen this woman because she bore a resemblance to Cory.

Just as she was reaching to take off her undergarments, there was a knock at his door. Ortiz scowled in anger. Muttering to himself in Spanish, he motioned for the woman to stop and walked to his door. "This had better be good," he said as he opened the door.

Outside the door stood a lackey, looking nervous. "Why do you dare interrupt me?"

"I'm sorry, _El Jefe_, but I thought that you might like to see the surveillance from last night. It's very interesting." The man was trying to be meek and not to wake the legendary wrath of Ortiz's anger. The last person who had done that was dead.

"Fine. Where's the tape?"

"Here." The toady quickly handed over the tape and left. He did not want to be anywhere in the vicinity the boss when he watched the tape.

Ortiz looked at the tape in his hand and then back to the almost naked woman. Sighing in resignation, he decided to watch the tape first.

Ortiz put the tape in the VCR. He watched as the unknown man walk up to Cory's apartment obviously dressed up. He growled in rage when he saw Cory and the man walk out of her apartment building. His rage grew as the tape kept playing.

The tape ended with Cory walking back to her apartment with the man's arms around her. Once the tape had stopped, he turned and threw his bottle of beer at the call girl. She ducked and the bottle hit the wall, shattering on impact.

Ortiz's temper snapped and he began shouting at the woman in Spanish. She got nervous and started to put her clothes back on, but he grabbed her and dragged her body to his. In his rage, he kissed her, imagining that she was Cory. She responded to the kiss, sensing that this was the only way to stay alive.

After Ortiz was done ravaging the woman, he forced her to leave. He was still very upset at the fact that Cory was going out with that guy. _"Stupid woman! Does she think that I'm joking? She's mine. No one will have her but me!"_

Slowly the plan began to formulate in his mind so that he could exact his revenge on Cory and her loose ways. He went to his door and called to one of his most trusted underlings. "Antonio, come in here."

"_Si, El Jefe?"_

"I want to make Cory pay for her indiscretion. I need a plan to bring her under my control. She must not be allowed to continue her stupidity. Let's start planning to bring her to me and make that bastard who touched her pay for his mistake."

**A/N:**

_tylerhiltongroupie53- (hangs head in shame)...i'm sorry it took me so long to update! you're welcome for the tattoo! um...danny talking dirty in Italian...it wouldn't matter what he was saying, it's just sexy! don't worry, he'll keep talking in Italian and Cory will keep responding in French:)_

_axellia-yes the timing was right! i was singing it as i wrote it, so... :D i'm worried about ortiz, too:s asyou can tell from this chapter, ortiz is not a happy man!hope this helps you get through another day of work!_

_chili-peppers-hopefully the wait won't be too long...the only reason this one took so long was because i had not uploaded it to ff yet and while at my parent's house i had no way to upload it since they only have dial-up and it's all saved on my laptop! i like the different languages, too. admittedly, danny speaking Italian is one of my fantasies! i speak a little French, so i try to write that in whenever possible!_

_pnkrckprncss- smooches! was it worth the wait? they are still not going to be full on fluff all the time...ortiz still has to be dealt with!_

_the little corinthian- (blushing)...merci beaucoup! no worry's about food in this chapter! do i need to start disclosing when the chapter is going to include food, so you can eat before hand?_


	24. Threats

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ There's a little fluff in this one and the drama starts to pick up! Please R&R! I need the inspiration!_

**A/N #2: **_I reposted this on July 9, 2006 to correct some grammatical errors!_

Chapter 24.

**Threats**

By the time that Danny, Mac, Cory and Travis had bagged all the evidence and gotten it to the lab, it was almost lunchtime. Travis had to go back to the headquarters to work on another case he was assigned to. Cory just had enough time to make copies of all the evidence for him to take with him. The only things that she did not copy were a couple of CD's that looked like they were music.

"I can't believe that he kept this," she said looking at a CD labeled _Music for the Insane._

"Kept what?" Danny asked.

"It's a compilation CD that I made years ago. It has all different kinds of music on it. It start's out with techno and hits every single genre there is. Mike liked it so much that he begged me to make him a copy. So I did."

Danny just looked at her. "I'd like to hear it sometime. It sounds interesting."

Cory smiled while she felt a blush coming on. "Thanks. We can listen to it tonight."

"Tonight? We got plans that I don't know about, Feebie?"

Cory just smirked. "I thought that I would cook you a good home-cooked Texas meal."

Danny got a look of pure desire on his face. He remembered her lasagna and his mouth started watering at the thought. "Can't wait. You need me to bring anything?"

Cory laughed. "Just your appetite."

Cory and Danny got back to work. Mac had taken swabs of all the material, to see if there were any biologicals on the folders, and had gotten an elimination sample from Michael.

Cory started by the downloading all of the financial data onto her laptop. As she just glanced at the data, she realized that these were comprehensive financial reports for all of Mala Suerte's activities. _"How did they get a hold of all this information? This is exactly what I need to bring them down."_

Danny looked up and stared at Cory. _"Gawd. She's so beautiful. I love it when she is completely into the evidence. That look that she gets….Damn, I'm getting aroused just thinking about it!"_ Danny shifted in his chair, trying to bring his hormones back under control. He just couldn't stop thinking about her.

Cory smiled inwardly when she saw Danny shifting uncomfortably in his chair. She had seen the way he was looking at her and had an idea of what was going through his mind. She decided to torture him a bit, feeling a little spunky.

Concentrating on the screen, Cory licked her lips and then caught her bottom lip between her teeth, gently biting it. She watched for Danny's reaction.

Danny almost groaned when he saw Cory bite her bottom lip. He desperately fought his hormones. Then he caught the twinkle in her eyes and realized that she was doing it on purpose. _"Alright. You want to play that game? I'm up for it."_

Cory was watching Danny out of the corner of her eye when she saw him lick the corner of his mouth. He was staring at the folders in front of him, trying to decide what he was going to look at first. He glanced at Cory, who quickly glanced away. She turned her neck, trying to relieve some of the stress that she felt.

Feeling her pain, Danny got up and walked behind her. _"Bella. Qui, lascilo aiutarlo,"_ he murmured, putting his hands on her shoulders. Slowly he began to massage her shoulders, relieving the tension.

Cory didn't know what to think when Danny stood up and walked behind her. He put his hands on her shoulders and she started a bit. When he murmured something in Italian, she felt a wave of desire wash over her. She became almost boneless at the feeling of him giving her a shoulder massage. Her muscles relaxed and she let out a small sigh of satisfaction.

Danny leaned over to whisper in her ear. "I win."

It took Cory a moment to pull her mind out of the gutter and when his words registered, she looked up in surprise. "Won what?"

"The game you were trying to play. You were trying to get me all hot and bothered, Feebie. It worked, but I got you back." Danny just smirked in his triumph.

Cory just laughed. "Just you wait, Messer. I'll get you back for that!"

Danny laughed, sat back down and decided to start looking through the folder labeled photos. He started going through the photos one by one. A lot of them were pictures of the gang members. He turned one over and found a wealth of information on the back. It listed the full name of the person in the picture, nickname, identifying tattoos and other distinguishing characteristics.

"Wow. Cory. Look at this. These are all photos of the gang members with all of their information written on the back."

Cory looked at the picture and then the back. "That's amazing." She walked to look over Danny's shoulder. He showed her the picture he was looking at. "I don't know this guy."

"Well, just look on the back and you'll come to know him really quickly. It has his given name, nickname and distinguishing characteristics on it. Basically all you need to know about this guy is here. The only thing missing is his list of crimes. I'm impressed. Armando and Michael were very thorough."

Cory nodded. "I bet it was Mike's idea. He's so like me that way. We are both obsessed with the details. I can't believe that he doesn't have a list of the crimes somewhere in here. I guess we just have to find it."

(Several hours later)

Cory had finally finished uploading all of the data on to her laptop. It was almost six o'clock. She stretched and felt several places in her back and next pop, releasing some tension. "I'm calling it a night. I just can't stare at the screen anymore. What time will you be over to my place for dinner?"

Danny took off his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes. "Why don't I take you home? Then I get to see you cook."

Cory agreed and they made their way down to the parking garage. Danny let Cory exit the elevator first, enjoying watching her walk. He was still as little aroused from their earlier flirting and seeing no one else in the garage decided to take advantage of it. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into a dark corner.

"Danny, what the…" Cory's question was cut off by Danny's lips on hers. This kiss was the polar opposite of the sweet kiss they had shared the night before. His mouth was demanding, his tongue insisting entry into her mouth. She sighed into the kiss, feeling her desire rising as the intensity increased.

Cory wrapped her arms around Danny's neck, trying to eliminate all the space between them. She felt the hard evidence of his desire press into her and whimpered a little in need. Finally she drew back, breathing hard and in need of oxygen. "Wow."

Danny was also trying to reclaim his breath. "I've wanted to do that all day. You ready to go back to your place?"

Cory stopped at his words, wanting her next sentence to come out the right way. "Danny we can go to my place, but I'm not ready for that kind of relationship. As much as I want to, God do I want to, I'm just not ready."

Danny nodded. "I know. I'm not either. You're different than anyone I've gone out with before. I want to wait until it's the right time." He took her hand and led her to his car, acting like a perfect gentleman.

When they got to Cory's apartment, Danny was still acting like the perfect gentleman. He opened her door for her and held out his hand to help her out of the car. "I'm impressed, Messer. Most guys up here never act like this."

"They were not taught how to treat a woman by my mother. She has very effective ways to make sure that her boys grew up into gentlemen."

Cory raised an eyebrow. "Did she whack you with a wooden spoon?"

Danny laughed. "Worse. She refused to cook. Since neither Dad, Louie nor I were any good in the kitchen at that time, it qualified as torture!"

Cory was still laughing as she walked down the hall towards her door. She stopped laughing as she noticed the manila envelope sitting on her doormat. She stopped where she was.

"Cory? What's wrong?" Danny waited for an answer and then looked where Cory was staring. He saw an envelope sitting on the doormat. "What's this?" Danny bent over to pick it up, but stopped when Cory put a hand on his arm to prevent him from picking it up. "What?"

"Danny. I think you should wear gloves when handling that. It's from Ortiz." Cory looked at Danny seriously.

Nodding his head, Danny went back down to his SUV and grabbed his kit. When he walked back up to Cory, he handed her a pair of gloves as well. Before Cory put the gloves on, she unlocked her apartment door, so that they could take the envelope inside.

Once inside, Danny looked at Cory with concern in his eyes. "Are you sure you wanna do this?"

Cory nodded. "I have to Danny. I can't let him control my life anymore." Cory slipped her gloved finger under the flap of the envelope and carefully opened it, trying to preserve any evidence on it.

Once open, she carefully removed the contents, careful to place them on the sheets of plastic wrap that Danny had put on the table. The first thing she pulled out was a picture of her and Danny walking home from their date. The next picture she pulled out was a picture of Danny walking out of her apartment building. Someone had drawn crosshairs on the picture in a red marker.

The next thing was a piece of paper. Cory looked at it and began to read aloud.

"You stupid bitch. Did you not think that I would find out about him? Why won't you listen to my warnings? You've been responsible for the death of two men and you are willing to risk another? I told you that you were mine. I told you what would happen if any other man touched you. Now both of you will pay the price." Cory stopped reading there. She just couldn't go on.

Danny picked up where she left off.

"When I find you both, I'm going to chain you to the wall in a remote place where no one will ever find you. Then, I'll take your lover-boy and slowly kill him in front of your eyes. Breaking every bone in his body. Then I'll shoot him in the gut so you can watch as he slowly dies in front of your eyes. Then you'll be mine, forever!"

Cory couldn't stand it anymore. She felt her gorge rising and ran to the bathroom. Danny quickly followed her. He knelt down beside her, holding her hair back as she lost even the memory of food in her stomach.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Sorry. I just couldn't. Danny. I'm scared." Cory started to cry.

Danny wrapped her arms around her, wanting to ease some of her pain. He was furious at Ortiz for making her feel this way. _"That bastard. I'm going to hunt his ass down and make him pay for what he's done to Cory. I think I might actually take pleasure in hurting another person. Slowly and with only my hands!"_

Danny continued to soothe her, rubbing his hand up and down her back. He felt her sobs slow down and looked to see that she was half asleep. "Come on, _bella_. I'm putting you to bed." He lifted her into his arms and walked into her bedroom.

He had just laid her down on the bed. _"I can't let her sleep in those clothes."_ Danny took off her shoes and put them on the floor. "Cory? _Bella?_ Where are your pajamas?" Her only response was a soft snore. Looking at the bed, Danny realized that he was going to have to undress her. He quickly looked in her top dresser drawer and found what he was looking for and more.

Danny's eyes opened wide at the variety of lingerie in her drawer. _"I'm going to have many a sleepless night, thinking about this moment!"_ Danny quickly got out the Cowboys jersey. He walked back to the bed, knowing that what he was about to do was close to torture.

He slowly took off her jacket, skirt and shirt, trying not to wake her. He groaned softly at the sight of her midnight black undergarments. _"Gawd…she's wearing a garter belt!"_ As quickly as possible, he put the jersey over her head, trying to cover her body as much as possible. Next he unhooked the garters and rolled her stockings down her legs. Before he put her arms through the jersey, he slid his hands up her body to unhook her bra. Once that was done he put her arms through the jersey and pulled the covers up over her. He stepped back from the bed, breathing hard. _"Damn. That was just torture!"_

Once she was covered, Cory snuggled under the sheets, looking peaceful. Danny turned off the lights and walked out of the bedroom.

When he got back to the living room, the sight of the pictures brought him back to the present. He got his cell phone and called Mac.

"Mac. It's Danny. We have a situation."

"_What do you mean?"_

"When Cory and I got back to her apartment, there was a package waiting for her from Ortiz. It's bad, Mac. He threatened both of us. Cory just lost it. After she calmed down, I got her to bed and she's sleeping right now. I was hoping that you could come and get the evidence."

"_I'd be happy, too. Do you need anything?"_

"Could you have Flack go by my place and pack me a bag? I don't want to leave her alone."

"_Sure. Danny? Be careful. I did some research into Cory's fiancé. He was an FBI agent, too. Ortiz has no hesitation in killing cops."_

"Got it. I'll be careful, Mac." Danny hung up the phone; feeling very tired all the sudden.

**A/N:**

_kasmith101- I'm glad you liked the plot twist...originally I was going to have Sid find the key in his stomach, but I liked this idea better! The twists are going to keep coming up until the Ortiz case is closed, so sit back and enjoy!_

_the little corinthian- let's just say that Ortiz really has it in for Danny and Cory and you're right, they will not go down without a fight! There probably won't be any descriptions of food for the next couple of chappies; I like to save that for fluff! I will have Cory cook him a home cooked Texas meal sometime in the future, though. :D_

_chili-peppers- yup. He's definitely way up there on the psycho scale. I fear for Cory's sanity throughout the next chapters! And the wait is over...by the way, I do have up to 27 complete, though since my beta is out of town, I'm having to proof it myself... :(_


	25. Kidnapped!

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Ok, guys….Please don't kill me or my muse over this cliffhanger! My muse just got back from her vacation and was a little peeved at airport security, so she's taking it out on the characters…I promise that the character will not die…but anything more than that, I can't say… Please R&R, I need to get my muse back into a good mood! (Anyone got a case of DP for her? It's the only thing that keeps her happy after a run in the stupid security people!)_

**A/N #2: **_I reposted this on July 9, 2006 to correct some grammatical errors!_

Chapter 25.

**Kidnapped!**

Mac arrived at Cory's apartment less than 30 minutes after Danny called him. Danny opened the door and let him in.

"All of it is on the table. We only touched it with gloves on and I put it in evidence bags as she took it out of the envelope."

"Good job, Danny." Mac picked up the picture with the crosshairs drawn on Danny. He raised his eyebrows and glanced at the younger man. Then he picked up the paper and began to read. Mac's eyes grew cold as he read what Ortiz had threatened. "That's it. Both of you are getting protection, immediately. I don't want you to go anywhere alone. You understand me?"

Danny just nodded his head. He knew that this was coming. "Got it, Mac. I expected that. I don't know how Cory will react to it, but I'll convince her that it's necessary."

Mac just looked at Danny, realizing for the first time how deep his feelings were for Cory. "You really care about her, don't you?"

Danny nodded. "I think I'm in love with her."

Mac grew even more serious. "Just don't let it cloud your judgment. Keep a clear head in all of this. I'll call you if I get anything off of this. Knowing Ortiz, there's very little chance of that."

Danny walked Mac to the door and as he opened it he saw that Flack was raising his hand to knock. "Hey, Mac. Danny. What's going on?"

Mac looked at Danny. "You explain. I'm going to process so we can catch this bastard." Mac walked out of the apartment. Flack walked in.

"Thanks for getting me the clothes, Flack."

"No problem, Messer, but what the hell is going on?"

"Ortiz threatened both Cory and I. Nothing that we can prove, unless Mac can work miracles, but we know it was him." Quickly, Danny outlined the night's events. "So, I'm gonna sleep on the couch, tonight. I don't want her to be here alone."

Flack nodded his head. "I understand, man. Do what ya gotta do to keep your woman safe. I'm gonna go home now. Call me anytime if you need anything."

"Ya got it, man. Be safe. Say hi to Montana for me."

After Flack left, Danny went to the closet and got out sheets to make up the couch. Once that was done, he turned on Cory's TV to restless to sleep. He finally drifted off to sleep some time after Letterman came on the air. A couple of hours later, the sound of Cory's scream woke him up. Grabbing his gun, he raced into her bedroom to shoot whoever was attacking her. When he got in the room, no one but Cory was there. She was sitting up in the bed, shaking.

"Are you alright?" he asked, scanning the room for intruders.

Cory looked up to see Danny with is gun in hand. "I'm fine. It was just a nightmare."

Danny walked to the bed, placing his gun on the bedside table. He took her in his arms to comfort her. "Ya scared me. I thought that Ortiz had come in and was trying to take you away from me."

Cory just wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tight. "You were definitely a welcome sight. Reminded me of Davy Crockett at the Alamo."

Danny just chuckled. "They lost. We won't." Danny looked down when he felt hot tears soaking into his shirt. "Shush…it's ok. I won't let anyone hurt you."

"I know, it's just…" Cory trailed off.

"Wanna tell me about the nightmare?"

"Ortiz was torturing you and he was making me watch. Then he killed you. That's when I woke up."

"_Bella…_that's not gonna happen. I'm going to protect you. As of right now, we both have protection. Mac's working on the evidence back at the lab. We'll catch him before anything happens." Danny was trying to console her. He felt awkward doing that. He'd never tried to comfort someone he was in love with before.

"Thank you, Danny. Listen, I'm not going to go back to sleep anytime soon. Want some coffee?"

"Sounds great."

Cory got out of bed and then realized that she was only wearing her Cowboys jersey. "I don't remember getting ready for bed."

Danny felt a blush crawling up his cheeks. "You didn't. You feel asleep in the bathroom and I put you to bed."

Cory began to blush as well. "Oh." There were so many feelings in just that one syllable. She walked to her dresser and pulled out a pair of matching boxers and put them on. Without a glance at Danny, since she was so embarrassed, she just made her way into the kitchen to fix the coffee. She noticed that Danny had made up the couch.

While the coffee was percolating, she walked into the living room and her CD player. Scanning over her CD's, she selected one and put it in.

Danny walked back into the living room, just as the first beats of _Enter Sandman_ by Metallica was beginning to play. "Metallica, Feebie. Got some suppressed rage?"

Cory giggled. "It fits my mood."

Danny smiled. "Okay." He walked over to her CD collection and it surprised him. She had every single musical genre and it was all alphabetized by genre. "Hey, Cory! Why is your CD collection sorted by genre?"

Cory walked into the living room, holding two cups of coffee. "Makes it easier to find what I want to listen to."

Danny just looked at her then went back to looking at the CD's. "Elvis, The Beatles, Guns and Roses, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Rammstein, The Prodigy, _Riverdance_? Is there anything you don't listen to?"

"Um…gangsta rap. I like rap, just not the gangsta variety. See anything you like?"

"Only half of your collection. Are your movies done the same way?"

"Of course! I'm a very organized person."

Danny just looked at her and rolled his eyes. "There is such a thing as being too organized."

"Uh-uh. You can never be too organized." Cory just started laughing at that point. The she stopped and listened to the music a second. "This is my favorite song by Metallica!" she squealed when _The Unforgiven_ came on.

"_New blood joins this earth_

_And quickly he's subdued_

_Through constant pained disgrace_

_The young boy learns their rules_

_With time the child draws in_

_This whipping boy done wrong_

_Deprived of all his thoughts_

_The young man struggles on and on he's known_

_A vow unto his own_

_That never from this day_

_His will they'll take away"_

As the chorus came on, Danny just looked at Cory in awe. He couldn't believe she knew all the words.

"This is my favorite part," Cory said as the second verse started.

"_They dedicate their lives, _

_To running all of his_

_He tries to please them all_

_This bitter man he is_

_Throughout his life the same_

_He's battled constantly_

_This fight he cannot win_

_A tired man they see no longer cares_

_The old man then prepares_

_To die regretfully_

_That old man here is me"_

Danny was just sitting there in shock. He couldn't believe that she was still singing and singing it very well.

Cory stopped singing. "Come on. Don't tell me you never sang along with these songs! I know the whole CD. I listen to it so often that I had to burn me a couple of new copies because I wore out the CD's."

"No comment. I'm just going to listen to you."

Cory continued to sing along with the CD. Danny was truly impressed. He never knew that someone could learn the words to all of the songs on one CD.

Finally, Cory got tired again and decided to go back to bed. She was just leery about going back to sleep and the nightmare. "Danny? Would just hold me until I fall asleep? The prospect of having that dream again scares me."

"Sure." Danny turned off the lights and followed Cory back to her room. They lay down in the bed and Danny held her until they both fell asleep.

Danny woke up first. He lay in bed, enjoying the feel of Cory in his arms. _"I would die to protect her."_ Danny just thought about Ortiz and how he planned to prevent him from hurting Cory any further.

Cory woke up to the feel of Danny stroking her hair. She smiled peacefully. She had enjoyed a dreamless sleep in Danny's arms.

"_Buona mattina, Bella. _How did you sleep?"

Cory stretches and opened her eyes. "Good. What about you?"

"Good. I guess we should get up and get ready for work. Are you going to tell your boss about the threats?"

Cory sighed. She was trying to forget about Ortiz. "I have to. He'll insist that I have 'round the clock protection. I hate that."

Danny looked down at Cory and gently lifted her chin with his fingers. _"Bella._ I know, but I don't want anything to happen to you. Mac's insisting that I have protection, too. I'll be careful if you will be."

Cory nodded her head. "Fine. I'd better get up and take a shower. I have to get ready for work." Cory got out of bed, grabbed some clothes from her closet and went into the bathroom.

Danny just lay in the bed, trying to figure out his feelings. He was still lying there 15 minutes later when Cory walked out of the bathroom with wet hair. She was carrying a hairdryer. He looked at her with a question in his eyes.

She smiled as she answered. "It takes about 30 minutes to dry my hair. I figured that I would dry it in here and let you take a shower."

Danny was grateful. He walked into the bathroom and immediately smelled the fruity scent of her shampoo. He inhaled deeply, realizing how much he associated the scent with Cory. When the shower was steamy he stepped in and began to wash himself off. Unasked for, the knowledge that Cory had just been standing in the same spot crept into his head. Sighing in frustration, he turned the tap to cold and hurried to finish his shower.

Both finished getting ready and headed out for work. Danny insisted on going to Cory's office with her, to make sure that she was okay. He told her that he would call Flack to come pick her up. Once he walked out of the FBI headquarters, he realized that both Flack and Lindsay had the day off. _"Damn. I don't want disturb them. I know what they must be doing right now! I should be okay. I'll just walk to the subway and take that to work. There will be plenty of people around me at all times."_

Danny started towards the subway, whistling in happiness, not realizing that he was being followed. He got on the subway and looked at the mixture of people there. Even to his jaundiced eye he noticed how many people of many different cultures were in New York. In his car alone, it looked that at least 7 different nationalities of people were represented.

He got off at his stop and made his way into the lab. The first person he saw was Mac. "Hey, Mac! Did you get anything from the evidence?"

Mac just nodded his head, somberly. "Nope. Ortiz is very thorough. No DNA, no fingerprints. Nothing. We might have a chance of matching the marker that was used to draw the crosshairs, but we have to have something to compare it to first. It's a very common marker."

Danny felt his good mood drop a little. "Damn. I was hopin' for a miracle. I dropped Cory off at her office and then took the subway here."

Mac cut him off, feeling his anger rising. "Damn you Danny! I told you to be careful. Taking the subway here alone is not being careful. From now on, you don't go anywhere along. Got it?"

Danny flinched at Mac's obvious anger. "Geez, boss. I got it, okay? Ya don't have to go all Marine on me!"

Mac just shook his head, letting his silence tell Danny how disappointed he was. Then he got a call. "Look, Danny. There's a DB in Little Italy. How about you take Detective Mata and Hawkes and go process the scene. Just be careful!"

"Ya got it!" Danny gathered his kit and grabbed Hawkes and made his way to the scene.

(Little Italy)

Danny loved the atmosphere in Little Italy. It reminded him of home and his Ma. When he and Hawkes got to the scene the responding officer let them in. Danny told Hawkes to take the outside and he would process the inside.

Danny was walking into the bedroom where the body was found and the next thing he knew was darkness.

**A/N:**

_chili-peppers- I'm glad you think that it's just getting better...I've had the majority of this part of the story mapped out in my head for a while! As for being addicted...well, the first sign of recovery is admitting that you have a problem! (lol)_

_pnkrckprncss- don't worry about the lack of a review! I'm glad you liked the chapters! The story is really picking up now...soon I'll be done (I don't know what to think about that, but I'm thinking the final chapter total will be somewhere around 40)! Cool about going to see the Lost Prophets! Did you have fun?_

_tylerhiltongroupie53- I'm so sorry that I didn't disclose a warning about the cliffhanger...honestly I forgot b/c this one is such a cliffhanger! (hangs my head in shame)...I'm glad you liked it! You're welcome for him speaking Italian (I just sigh every time I think about it!) I'll warn you that for the next couple of chapters, they all seem to end on a cliffhanger!_

_the little corinthian- I glad you loved it! I love protective Danny, too...the drama is definitely going strong now!_


	26. Fallout

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Please R&R, I need to get my muse back into a good mood! Thank you so much to Axellia for letting me borrow her character, Taylor Turner! I hope that I don't totally screw with her. I will give a brief back story, for those who have not read her fic "What the Eye's Can't See." Btw…her nickname is Drew, as in Nancy Drew!_

**A/N #2:** _Btw…this is another cliffhanger! Please don't kill me:)_

Chapter 26.

**Fallout**

(Taylor's POV)

Taylor Turner, crime columnist for the New York Daily, knew that it was not going to be a good day when she woke up. She was sleeping deeply, next to her boyfriend of four months Marty Pino. Marty was as medical examiner in the crime lab. She didn't know what woke her up. It was just before noon; both her and Marty had worked late into the morning and had gone to bed at 6 a.m. She looked at her clock and then towards her window. That's where she saw him.

It was a ghost. He was a Caucasian man, dressed in casual clothes. He had five bullet holes in his chest, in a cross pattern. He looked at her and said, "Help him."

Taylor looked at him, confused. "Help who?"

The ghost just looked at her and said, "Help him." Then he disappeared.

Taylor just looked resigned. _"I guess that's all the sleep I'm going to get today."_ She leaned over to Mary and gently shook him awake.

"Whas'sa matter?" he muttered, almost incoherent.

"I've had a visitor. I need to go to the lab."

Marty just rolled over and muttered, "Be careful." Then he went back to sleep.

Taylor sighed and got dressed in her favorite camouflage and camisole. _"I wonder why Maddy didn't come with him. Well, at least he seemed friendly."_

Taylor put the finishing touches on her outfit, grabbed her keys and ran out of her apartment to go to the crime lab.

(Crime Lab)

When Taylor got to the lab, she found it unusually busy. She went in search of Mac and found him dressing down a uniformed cop in his office. She watched through the glass as Mac was obviously removing part of the man's skin. She didn't know what the man had done, but she did not envy his position right now. Knowing how long Mac could dress down a person, she left to go down to the morgue and see if maybe the body was in there.

Once down at the morgue, she saw Sid covering up a body. "Hey, Sid."

"Hey, Drew."

She cringed a little at the nickname. _"Damn, Messer! Why did he have to start with the whole Drew thing?"_ She walked over to the body, curious to see if the ghost she'd seen was this man. "Who is this?"

"His name is Michael Hogan. He was killed by the Mala Suerte."

Taylor drew back a slightly at that bit of information. "The Mala Suerte? They are the most brutal gang in New York! Do we know why, yet?"

"Not yet. That's not for me to figure out." Sid lifted the sheet a little and Taylor got a glimpse of the man. It was the same man. Quickly she left the crime lab and went back to Mac's office. As she exited the elevator she saw the uniformed cop make a quick exit from his office. She quickly knocked on the door and walked in. "Mac?"

"What!" Mac almost shouted the word at her, and then looked up. "Sorry, Taylor. This isn't a good time."

"What's wrong?" Taylor felt a sliver of fear run up her spine.

"Danny's been kidnapped. By the Mala Suerte."

Mac stopped talking as Taylor gasped in horror. When he didn't continue, she said, "Well. Are you going to tell me what happened?"

Mac just motioned with his head for her to look outside the office. "I think I'll wait for everyone to get here first."

Taylor looked outside the office and saw Stella, Hawkes, Flack, Lindsay and an unknown woman walking quickly towards the office.

When the woman walked in she looked angrily at Mac. "What the hell happened, Mac? He was supposed to have protection!"

"Cory. Calm down. I'll tell you the story." At the sound of the woman's name, Taylor realized that it was Danny's girlfriend, the FBI agent.

(Cory's POV)

When Cory got the call, she almost collapsed in horror. "Mac. What do you mean that Danny's been kidnapped?" Mac refused to elaborate any more until she got to the lab. Cory ground her teeth in frustration. "I'll be there in 20 minutes and you'd better be ready to explain." She slammed down the phone, grabbed her purse and left the office with her new shadow following her.

The ride to the lab was torture. She was so angry and worried that her knuckles were white with how hard she had her fist's clinched.

She tapped her foot impatiently on the ride up the elevator, trying to will the machine to go faster. When she got off, she saw the whole team walking towards Mac's office. She joined them.

When she walked into the office, she noticed a woman with midnight black hair standing there. She dismissed her without a thought. "What the hell happened, Mac? He was supposed to have protection!"

"Cory. Calm down. I'll tell you the story," Mac tried to soothe her.

(General POV)

"Here's what we think happened. I sent Danny to a scene in Little Italy. It was a simple DB. Hawkes was processing the outside of the apartment and Danny the inside. When Hawkes went back to check on Danny, there were faint signs of a struggle in the bedroom and Danny was gone. We ID'd the vic. It was Luis Batista."

Cory looked up at that name. "A member of Mala Suerte in Little Italy? This had to be a set up, Mac. I swear to God, if Ortiz has hurt one hair on Danny's head, I'm going to rip his heart out through his nose."

Everyone in the room smiled at that comment, except Taylor. _"Wow. She is one pissed off woman!"_ Taylor realized that the ghost wanted her to help Danny.

"Um…I don't know how to say this, but the reason I'm here is because a ghost came to me. The ghost of Michael Hogan. He said, 'Help him'. I'm assuming that he is talking about Danny." Taylor was speaking, uncertainly. She did not know how Cory would take the idea of ghosts.

Flack reacted typically, by rolling his eyes. "Whatever, Drew. Why don't you play that game some other time? We've got work to do."

Taylor was getting ready to yell at Flack, when Cory cut her off. "Flack. What's the matter? Don't believe in ghosts? Well open your damn mind! We can use all the help we can get to catch Ortiz before he kills Danny."

Flack and Lindsay looked stunned at Cory's easy acceptance of the idea of ghosts and could not formulate any words.

Cory turned to Taylor and looked at her. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Special Agent Corrine Reid of the FBI. You can call me Cory." She smiled welcomely at Taylor. She offered her hand to Taylor.

Taylor was stunned, as well. She shook Cory's hand. "I'm Taylor Turner. New York Daily's crime columnist."

Cory felt comprehension dawn on her. "You're Marty's girlfriend."

Taylor smiled. "Yeah. You're Danny's girlfriend. I don't understand. You're not freaked out by the idea of ghosts?"

Cory just shook her head, no. "When did you see Mike?"

"About noon. He just showed up in my bedroom and asked me to help 'him'. I had no idea it was about Danny until I got here."

Cory nodded. "I think you and me need to have a coffee later." Cory turned to Mac. "How did Mala Suerte get into the crime scene? Isn't it supposed to be secured prior to any CSI's going in?"

Mac got the angry look back on his face. "Yeah, it is. An inexperienced uniform didn't fully clear it and didn't tell anyone that." He saw the look of rage come over Cory's face and backed up a step. "Don't worry about him. If he gets off of desk duty in a year, he'll be lucky."

Mac looked at Hawkes and Stella. "Hawkes. Stella. I want you two to process the scene. Leave nothing behind. Flack, go with them." All three nodded their agreement and left the office. "Lindsay. I want you here with Cory, tracking down what Luis Batista was doing in Little Italy."

"Got it, Mac." Lindsay said as she turned to go out of the office.

Cory just looked at Taylor. "Want to help us?"

Taylor nodded and she and Cory followed Lindsay out of the office.

As they were walking towards the computer lab, Taylor looked at Cory in speculation. "If you don't mind me asking, why did you accept the whole ghost thing? No one else here believes me."

Cory smiled a small smile. "I've seen ghosts since I was a small child. I can't hear them, but I can see them."

Taylor was confused. "You can see ghosts? Finally, I don't feel so alone!"

Cory was laughing a little when she and Taylor walked in the lab to meet Lindsay. Both women sat at a computer and proceed to try to research the dead man.

(Unknown Location)

Light started to seep back into Danny's consciousness. He tried to move his arms, but felt that they were bound some how. Slowly he opened his eyes and shut them back quickly when the light intensified the pounding in his head. He groaned. He was bound to a beam in the ceiling, his hands above his head.

"So lover-boy awakes."

Danny quickly opened his eyes and looked for the voice. When he turned his head to the right, he noticed a menacing man looking at him. "Ortiz. Where the hell am I?"

"I'm so glad that you have heard of me, _amigo._ That will make killing you even more satisfying."

"Why are you doing this to me? What did I ever do to you?"

Ortiz walked over to him and laughed evilly. "You touched my woman. No one is allowed to do that."

Danny felt anger flood his body. "She's not yours, Ortiz. She never was. You made sure of that when you killed her fiancé." Danny didn't see the blow coming. He doubled over as Ortiz punched him in his stomach.

"Don't be stupid. She is mine. I marked my territory before you were even in the picture. I will not allow anyone to take her from me!"

Ortiz began to punch Danny some more, striking blows all across his body. When he was done, Danny felt like he had just gone 12 rounds with Mike Tyson. It didn't keep him from trying to antagonize Ortiz some more. "Is this the only way you can get a woman to look at you? Trying to scare her into submission? That's pretty sad. I'd say your technique needs a little polishing."

Danny lost consciousness soon after uttering that statement, as Ortiz began to beat him some more.

(Cory's apartment)

Cory had invited Taylor and Lindsay back to her apartment for drinks. Both women, sensing that she did not want to be alone, agreed to go.

"God. This has been an awful day!" Cory was starting to feel melancholy. "That uniformed office better be glad that I don't know who he is. If he thinks that Mac dressing him down was bad, then he wouldn't ever come back to work after the tongue lashing I want to give him!"

Lindsay and Taylor laughed. Taylor glanced down at her coffee table and noticed a CD case. Curious she decided to investigate it. "What's this?"

Cory looked over and saw that Taylor was holding the _Music for the Insane_ CD that she had made. "It's a compilation CD that I made for Mike. It was with the evidence in the safety deposit box." Cory had explained the Mala Suerte case to Taylor as they had worked in the computer lab. "Put it in the CD player. I could stand to listen to some music right now.

Taylor opened up the CD case and found two CD's instead of one. "Which CD do I put in?"

Cory looked at Taylor. "Which one? Is there more than one there?" At Taylor's nod, Cory walked over to her. "Hey, Linds? Will you grab me my laptop?" Cory took the second CD from Taylor. Once Lindsay had put her laptop on the coffee table, Cory inserted the CD.

She opened up the list of files on the CD and clicked on one that said, "Read me first." Cory began to read the Microsoft Word document that came up. "Shit! Damn it to all of Hell!" She took the disc out of the computer and put it in a case.

Lindsay looked at Cory in alarm. "What? What is it?" She followed Cory as she grabbed her keys and purse.

Cory just looked over her shoulder. "Liz was not the mole." With that, she ran out of the apartment with Lindsay and Taylor following close behind her.

**A/N:**

_tylerhiltongroupie53- I'm glad that you secretly love cliffhangers, there's quite a few still coming up before the fluff returns!_

_chili-peppers- I'm just a tease! That's why the cliffhangers are still coming! I have to admit I was at a loss at what the welsh meant...Can I have a translation, please:D_

_pnkrckprncss- I'm very protective of them too! I'll definately write more, but probably not a story this long for a while, sadly school starts back in a little over a month and I just won't have the time... :( I want to do some DL oneshots to keep myself in writing mode! I'll still lurch on ff and review for people. :)_

_stargazr- Yeah a new reviewer! I like it when people review that haven't reviewed before...New reviewers definatley help to make my muse happy! They do definately have their quirks! Mine tends to be very angsty when I'm stressed (big suprise), but sometime she surprises me and goes for the fluff when I'm full on stressed out! Thanks for the review!_

_the little corinthian- Sorry are are more cliffies on the way! There is just so much action going on right now that they are necessary! Don't worry, Ortiz will definately get what's coming to him! If you think that you'd go apeshit, wait until you see what Cory does! It may be her breaking point!_

_axellia- I was about to send out the bloodhounds! Sorry to hear about the loss of the internet for a week, that bites. I love Bring Me to Life...I've seen Evanescense twice in concert (and trust me if you haven't heard that song with the male vocals being sung by the lead singer of Seether, you've totally missed out! It just ROCKED...hard.) I see Danny as being brought up by a typical Italian mama, who would make sure that he would know how to treat a woman right! Too bad those types of guys are so few these days. :( I'm glad you like the Italian. (hmmmmm) Ok. Just breathe, inhale, exhale, breathe into a paper bag if you have to! I promised that I would not kill him and I won't (b/c then I'd have to kill Cory b/c she would go crazy and kill Ortiz then herself). It wasn't a long wait, was it:D_


	27. Searching

_**Disclaimer:** I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ I do not own Jack Malone or any characters associated with Without a Trace, it was just easier to use them than to make up my own character. So, who does everyone think the mole is? Please let me know when you review! I want to see how obvious I made it:) As always, please, please, please R&R! My muse loves the attention!_

Chapter 27.

**Searching**

The next time Danny awoke he hurt all over. His mind quickly reminded him why he'd gotten into this situation. _"Damn me and my big mouth! Why did I have to antagonize him? I was just asking for trouble."_ Danny tried to move a little to ease the cramps in his arms and legs. He opened his eyes and realized that several hours had passed. He was guessing that it was about eight o'clock at night. No one was in the room with him.

Carefully he moved his arms to see if he could get the rope to give. He gave up after about ten minutes since he did not have the leverage. A few minutes later he heard footsteps outside of the room. He looked around for a door and guessed that it was behind him, since that was the only place that he could not see. He guessed from what he was hearing that there were two people walking towards the room.

He guess proved right as two men walked into the room. As they walked around him, Danny tried to memorize their features, noting the tattoos especially.

"Well, look here. He's awake," the first man said to the other.

"Well, the boss did say that we could have some fun if he was awake." The second man looked happy at the idea as he began to crack his knuckles.

Danny braced himself, preparing to get beat up again. Luckily, Ortiz walked in at that moment.

"Antonio and Jose. Take him to the room that we prepared just for him."

The two men untied Danny from the beam and then tied his arms behind him. He began to struggle, sensing that this might be his only chance to get away. His struggles only resulted in a blow to his head from the butt of a gun. He blinked the stars out of his eyes and by the time he could react again, he'd been thrown into a small windowless room. It had a mattress on the floor and nothing else in the room.

He heard the door lock behind him and realized that his hands were free. Instantly, he began to check his injuries, trying to find out how bad he was hurt. With a sigh of relief, he realized that most of the injuries were just bruises. His eye was slightly swollen and his ribs tender.

"_I'm lucky. I wonder. Why am I still alive? Is Ortiz really going to carry out his threat and kill me in front of Cory?"_ Danny's heart jumped at that idea. He did not want to put Cory through anymore than necessary. _"Damn it. I will find a way out of this. I can't let her be hurt again!"_

With that thought, Danny began trying to plan his escape.

(Crime Lab)

Cory, Taylor and Lindsay practically ran into the crime lab. Cory was dodging people right and left.

"Cory, wait up! Do you mind explaining to us?" Stella was almost yelling the question as she followed her down the hall. By the time they had made it to the computer lab, all three women were winded. "Cory. Explain!" Stella was not taking no for an answer.

Cory tried to catch her breath. "The file. It was from Armando. He told me that that the mole was a man who was high up in the FBI. He said that he did not know his name, but he knew that he was one of the people to make the final decision on where to raid. He went on to say that whoever it was purposely set up Liz to frame her. Only they did not intend for her to be killed."

Taylor was confused. "So how does this help?"

Cory rushed on. "After I discovered there was a mole, there was an investigation. One of the factors of determining that Liz was the mole was an offshore bank account that was receiving regular deposits from businesses owned by Mala Suerte."

Taylor was still looking confused, although Stella was starting to realize what Cory was getting at. "So if Liz wasn't the mole, who was actually receiving the deposits from Mala Suerte. That's what you're getting at, right?"

Cory looked at Stella. "Exactly. So if I can track the money trail, then I can find the mole. If I find the mole, I find Danny!"

Cory sat down at the computer. "I need to go through this data, carefully, so that I can try to track the money down. It's going to take a while, so if y'all want to go get some sleep do it. I'll probably work all night before even getting close."

Taylor and Stella looked at each other. "We'd like to help. What can we do?"

Cory thought for a second. "I wish you could help me with the financial part, but you can't. How about checking possible properties to see if there are any locations that Ortiz might keep Danny at?" Cory thought about the threat for a moment. "Especially check ones that are isolated and if someone was being tortured, they would not be found out."

Both Taylor and Stella nodded and started to go through computer files.

(Several hours later, Midnight)

Cory had been working non-stop going over the financial data. She had called Agent Michaels to let him know about the development and had permission to begin background searches on the top members of the team. She had Stella running the background checks. She was hoping that if the traces were being run by the NYPD then they would not set off any possible warning systems.

At midnight, Mac walked by the lab. He stopped and did a double-take. He had been out on a call since before the women had come back. "Cory. Did I miss something? What are you guys doing back?"

Cory took off her glasses, rubbed her eyes and turned to Mac. "I have so information that might help us find Danny."

"What?"

"Thankfully, Taylor was curious about a music CD that I had made that was in with the evidence. It turns out that there was an additional CD in there. Mike had made it for me. The first thing I read told me that Liz was not the mole. So I'm hoping that if I find out who the mole is I can find Danny."

Mac looked at Cory's excitement and decided to caution her. "Just don't get your hopes up too much. It would be a serious letdown. Just be careful."

Cory looked at Mac. "Thanks, Mac. I know. It's possible that I won't be able to trace back to find out who the mole is. I have so much information here. The only reason I'm in the lab, is that I did not download the financial statements onto my laptop. They would take up too much space on the hard drive. Don't worry about me. I know the chances of me finding the mole in time are slim to none, but…I'm an optimist."

Mac just nodded as he walked out of the lab.

(Flack's apartment)

Flack and Lindsay got back to his apartment about midnight. The night had been subdued for them, both of them trying not to think to hard about Danny's disappearance.

"Do you want to come in?" Flack asked her nervously.

Lindsay nodded, still very subdued. "Yeah. Don?"

"Yeah, Linds?"

"I'm scared. What if something happens to Danny?"

Flack had been trying very hard not to think of that question the entire night. "Danny's strong, Linds. He'll be okay." He wrapped her in his arms. She was shaking with suppressed emotions. "It'll be okay, Linds. Trust me. Messer's a tough guy."

Lindsay nodded. "I know. But my concern is that if something were to happen to him…I don't know what would happen to Cory."

Flack drew back a little. "What do you mean?"

Lindsay drew a breath. "Cory told me when James was killed the only reason she didn't kill herself was because she wanted to kill Ortiz. Don, if Danny dies, I think it will be her breaking point. She would hunt down Ortiz, kill him and then kill herself. I'm worried about how she is going to handle this."

Flack just hugged her tighter. "Linds, I'll be honest. I don't know about how she would handle something like that. All I can say is that I've seen how strong she is. She's had to be. I think that as long as she had her friends behind her, she'll be able to cope with anything that comes her way."

Lindsay let out a sigh of relief. That was what she wanted to hear. "I'll trust you. Can we go to bed? I'm exhausted and I don't think I'll be able to make it back to my apartment without falling asleep."

Flack grinned. He liked waking up with her in his arms. "Sure." With that, they walked back to his bedroom.

(Unknown Location)

Danny was lying on the mattress. It had been several hours since the men had thrown him into the room and he was no closer to see how he could escape. _"If I felt a little better, I'd try to fight my out, but with at least three of them, I don't stand a chance."_ That was what he was thinking about when the door opened.

Wincing a little in pain, he jumped up off of the mattress, getting ready to fight. One of the two men that had thrown him in the room walked in, carrying a plate of food. "Here. Ortiz says for you to eat." He put the food down and walked out of the room. Danny heard a lock click into place.

He was ravenous, his stomach grumbling, but he was cautious about eating. He did not want to be poisoned. Gingerly he picked at the meal, trying to make sure it would not harm him. When the meal was cold and he still felt okay, he dug into it in earnest. _"I wonder what's going to happen next."_

(Crime Lab, 7am)

Cory was sitting in the break room, her head pillowed on her arms fast asleep. Stella and Taylor had left two hours previous, saying that they were no use to her half dead. This was how Flack and Lindsay found her.

"Cory? Cory!" Lindsay called her name, trying to wake her up.

"Huh? What?" Cory woke up. "Linds? What's going on?"

Lindsay looked at her, noticing how exhausted she looked. "That's what I wanted to find out. Why are you here?"

Cory rubbed her eyes before putting her glasses back on. "I found out that Liz was not the mole, so I've been here most of the night trying to find out who the mole is. What time is it?"

Flack was the one that answered. "A little after 7. Have you been here all night?"

"Yeah. I must have fallen asleep. I'd better go check my files. I was running a search when I came in for coffee." Cory stood up wearily. She waived bye to Flack.

Lindsay followed her back to the lab. "Cory. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I will be. Look, I know that y'all are doing a good job trying to find Danny, but would you mind if I called in reinforcements?"

Lindsay looked confused. "What do you mean?"

Cory actually looked a little sheepish at Lindsay's comment. "I have some friends from the FBI that specialize in looking for missing persons. I'm going to call them and see if they are free to help us out."

"Have you told Flack or Mac?"

"Not yet. I was going to run it by Mac when he got back this morning. I didn't think about it until about 3 am. My mind seems to come up with good plans when I'm exhausted. I plan on just asking for their advice right now. To see if they know of anything that we have not been doing."

Lindsay nodded. "As much as I would love to be able to solve this case without any help, I know that the more people we have looking means it's more likely for us to find him. Alive."

"I know. I still think that the best chance we have of finding him will be me figuring out who the mole is."

Lindsay nodded. "By the way, what happened to your shadow?"

Cory laughed. "I sent him home. I told him that I would be safe in the lab and I promised not to leave. His replacement should be here in about an hour."

About an hour later, Mac was back in the lab. He first checked on Cory, to make sure she was still alive. He was surprised to see her and Lindsay talking. "Cory? Have you been here the entire night?"

Cory looked at Mac. "Yeah. I took about an hour nap in the break room, but otherwise, I've been hard at work. I want to find him, Mac."

"Understandable, but you need sleep."

Cory smiled wryly. "You know the saying Mac. I can sleep when I'm dead. This is more important. I wanted to talk to you about something."

Mac noted her serious tone. "What's going on?"

"I have some friends in the FBI's missing person's squad. I was thinking about asking for their advice. I just don't want to overstep my bounds."

Mac nodded. "Don't worry about it. The more help we have, the greater chance of finding Danny alive. Contact your friends and see if they can help."

"Thanks, Mac." Cory's phone beeped with a text message at that point. "Well, my shadow is back, so I'm going to head to my office. I can contact Jack and get some helpful hints at that point. I'll see y'all later."

Cory left Lindsay and Mac to head back to her office.

(FBI headquarters)

The first thing that Cory did when she got to her office was take a shower and change into some spare clothes she kept there. Once she had done that, she felt much better.

When she got to her office, she saw that she had a message from Travis. She called him. "What's going on, Travis?"

"_That information you found has been a huge help! We've already identified several more targets and are waiting on your review of the financial statements. This truly is looking like the beginning of the end of Mala Suerte."_

"I know. The amount of information discovered is staggering. I've looked into the some of the statements and it's going to take weeks or even months to get through it all. Plus, I have to help the NYPD with a case."

"_Why? You would be more use here."_

"I know, but one of the detectives that you met was kidnapped by Mala Suerte. I'm going to find him, Travis." Cory was reluctant to release anymore information. She knew there were only a couple of people that could be the mole and she did not want that information leaking back to them.

"_I understand. Just don't take on too much."_

"Thanks, Travis. I have to go. I've got work to do." Cory hung the phone and immediately called Jack Malone, the team leader on the best missing person's team in New York. "Hi, Jack. It's Cory Reid. Listen, can I meet you for lunch? I need some advice." They agreed to meet at a café down the street.

(Lunch)

Cory arrived at the café with her shadow a couple of minutes after Jack. "Hi, Jack! You're looking like you're doing okay."

The distinguished older gentlemen looked up at her. "You, too. What's going on?"

Cory drew a breath and began to describe the case to him, leaving nothing out. As she finished her explanation she looked at him. "Can you give me any advice on how to proceed?"

Jack looked thoughtful. "You're a couple steps ahead of where we'd normally be at this point. You know who took him, why and where he was taken from. It sounds like the crime lab is doing a good job of processing the evidence. It may take time. We normally have to retrace the steps of the person to find out where they went missing from. Are you sure that you can't get any information from informants?"

Cory swore softly. "I don't have any informants. Every time that I get one, they die."

Jack nodded his head. "Let me ask Elena. She was part of the NYPD narcotics unit, maybe she'll know someone to talk to. Are you going to be here or at the crime lab?"

Cory brightened at the thought of a possible informant. "I'm going back to the lab. I need to find the mole, Jack. I've got to cauterize the wound that is slowly killing this investigation."

"Understood. I'll send her over if she can help."

Both Cory and Jack stood up, getting ready to leave. Cory looked at Jack again. "Jack. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this. Thank you."

Jack smiled a little. "That's what friends are for. Just stay safe. I don't want to have to look for you. Got it?"

Cory just laughed. It was a long standing joke between the two. "That's why I have a shadow. I'll be fine, Jack. I'll see you later."

Cory was in a much better mood as she headed back to the lab.

**A/N:**

_the little corinthian- I'm glad you liked the cliffie...it was a fun one to write. I totally agree that it was totally Danny. Only he would antagonize the one person who wants to kill him! Who do you think the mole is? It will be revealed in the next chapter!_

_kasmith101- Yup. The plot twists keep on coming! (It helps that I've been planning this the entire story!) The case itself should have some sort of a resolution in the next 5 or 6 chapters then it's back to fluff!_

_chili-peppers (I'm blushing furiously right now!) Merci beaucoup! Yeah, you're right...it is going to hurt in the morning, but it was Danny being Danny!_

_pnkrckprncss- Yup. I'm in college, so I'm out of school from the 2nd week in May to the 2-3rd week of August (if I don't take summer classes)...I can't complain too much with that much time off! Plus only 7 more classes and I finally (And I mean FINALLY) graduate!_

_axellia- She was a bit familar! I'm glad I got her spot on...That was my one fear. Completely writing her out of character! Soon Maddy will make an appearance! Cory accepts her cyber hug and I made my muse forward the healing onto Danny. He's going to be...um...what's the word? Rather painfilled. That's it. He's going to be rather painfilled for the next couple of chappies. He just doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut! But help is on the way!_


	28. Breakthrough

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ I do not own Jack Malone or any characters associated with Without a Trace, it was just easier to use them than to make up my own character. As always, please, please, please R&R! My muse loves the attention! Tell me in your reviews how many guessed who the mole was? Also, this is a kinda a short chapter...short but necessary! _

Chapter 28.

**Breakthrough**

When Cory got back to the crime lab, she was in a better mood. The first person she saw when she walked in was Mac. "Hey, Mac. I just talked to my friend in the missing person's unit and he backs what we are doing now. The only thing that he is going to do is see if one of his people might have a contact that we can use."

Mac looked confused. "Why would a person on the missing unit have contacts that we can use?"

Cory smiled. "She used to work for the NYPD in narcotics."

"Oh. That makes sense. I hope that she can get some information for us." Mac waived as he walked away, off to work on the case some more.

Cory went back to reviewing the financial data. She felt that she was really close to figuring it all out.

She was still hard at work when Special Agent Elena Delgado walked in. "Cory?"

Cory jumped a little and looked over her shoulder. "Elena!" Cory got up and hugged the woman. "How are you?"

"I'm good. Things not going well with Ortiz?"

Cory rolled her eyes slightly. "That is a huge understatement. He kidnapped my boyfriend. I'm assuming that you're here because you might have an informant that I can use?"

Elena nodded and withdrew her notepad from her purse. "You would be right, as usual. His name is Antonio Rivas. He's a low level dope dealer that I arrested a couple of times. Strictly small time, but he has his fingers in a lot of little pots. He hears almost everything that happens in Spanish Harlem."

"Wow, Elena. I didn't expect that. How can I thank you?" Cory looked stunned.

"Bring down Ortiz. And it was no problem. I took the liberty of setting up a meeting for you. Here's the info." Elena wrote some information on the page and handed it to Cory. "He's expecting you."

Cory accepted the paper and nodded her head. "He speaks English, right? Cause the last guy you set me up with, only spoke Spanish and the entire interview was shot!"

Elena laughed in response to her sally. "Yes, he does speak English. Do you want me to go with you?"

"No. But I'll have to take my shadow with me. I hope you warned him."

"Your shadow?"

"I have 'round the clock protection now since Ortiz actually threatened me." Cory sighed in frustration. "Maybe I can convince Flack to come with me instead."

"Flack?" Elena looked confused.

"Detective Don Flack, NYPD. He's working this case, too."

"Oh. Don. He's a good guy." Elena had a smile on her face.

Cory looked confused. "You know him?"

"Yeah. Remember I used to work for the NYPD. We dated."

Cory raised her eyebrows. "Really. He's got a girlfriend now. Lindsay Monroe."

"I'm happy for him. He deserves a good woman."

Cory smiled and looked over Elena's shoulder to see Flack and Lindsay walking towards them. "Yup. Speaking of the devil, here they come."

Elena looked over her shoulder and waved at Flack.

Flack stopped walking and looked stunned.

Lindsay looked at him as a plethora of expressions crossed his face. "Who is she?"

Flack looked at her. "Who is who?"

Lindsay looked a little impatient. "The stunningly beautiful woman with Cory that just waved? I know that I don't know her, so she must have waved at you."

"Oh. That's Elena. We used to date way back when." Flack looked uncomfortable and decided to go see what she was doing at the lab. "I wonder why she's here."

Flack and Lindsay walked into the room. "Elena. What are you doing here?"

"Hi, Don. I'm helping Cory out by setting her up with an informant. How are you doing? I haven't seen you since…" She trailed off, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

Flack nodded his head. "Since we broke up? I'm doing good. I'd like you to me Lindsay Monroe. She's a CSI and my girlfriend."

Elena shook hands with Lindsay. "Nice to meet you." She turned to Cory. "I have to go. I'm still working on a case and just came down here on my lunch break. Good luck and be careful. Call me if you need anything."

"Thanks, Elena. I will." Cory watched as Elena walked down the hall. Then she turned to Flack with a question in her eyes. "You and Elena?"

Flack felt a blush creeping up his cheeks. "It was a long time ago. We were just too different. But we stayed good friends until she left the force right after we broke up."

Lindsay felt her emotions warring with each other. On one hand, she knew that Flack had ex-girlfriends, but she had not expected one to be so beautiful. She decided to handle the situation nonchalantly. "I can't believe you let her go? She's gorgeous."

Flack looked at Lindsay, stunned. "What?"

"I'm joking Don. I'm glad that you guys broke up. That way I have you all to myself."

Flack grinned and leaned over to kiss her. Cory just rolled her eyes. "Get a room."

Just then her computer beeped. Turning around Cory looked at the screen. She had run a search to find any outflows of cash that matched the deposits into the offshore bank account. There were no matching outflows, but there were withdrawals on the same date, for twice the amount. "That's strange."

Flack and Lindsay broke apart. Lindsay was the one who responded to her statement. "What's strange?"

Cory looked up. "I'm trying to find matching withdrawals from the financial data to match the dates of the deposits into the offshore account. I didn't find any that matched, but there are withdrawals on those dates. There for twice the amount of the deposits."

Lindsay looked thoughtfully at that information. "Maybe once the initial deposit was received, the mole put half of it in the separate account just in case he was found out. The second account could have been a decoy."

"True. That means all I need to do is to find the initial account and I can find the mole. Oh! This is so frustrating! I'm so close, but yet so far." Cory shook her head.

"Give it some time, Cory. You'll figure it out," Lindsay said soothingly.

Cory just nodded. "By the way, Flack. Do you want to come with me to Spanish Harlem this afternoon to interview a possible informant?"

"Hell, yes. What time?"

"4 pm. I'm going to run some more numbers before we leave." Cory turned back to her computer and began to look at the screen once again.

(Unknown Location)

Danny woke up from an uneasy sleep. His body still hurt all over and he was no closer to escaping. He had checked the room carefully and had found no way to escape. The air duct was too small for him to fit through. He'd carefully check to see if there was any way to make a weapon, but had found nothing.

Danny heard the door unlock and jumped up. "Ortiz."

Ortiz walked into the room, flanked by Antonio and Jose. "Lover-boy. Glad to see that you are awake. I wanted to see how you are enjoying your accommodations."

Danny decided to try to spar words with him. "They leave much to be desired. Like a bathroom, a window, a door that's not locked."

Ortiz laughed. "I like you. It's a shame I have to kill you."

Danny just stared at Ortiz. "You bastard. You will pay for what you've done to Cory. I'll make sure of that."

Ortiz looked at Danny. "Strong threat for a dead man."

Danny just glared at him. "It's not a threat. It's a promise."

Ortiz just looked at Danny then walked out of the room. Danny felt fire burning eyes as he was left alone.

(4pm, Spanish Harlem)

Cory and Flack stood on a corner, waiting for the contact to appear. They didn't have to wait long.

"Corrine Reid?"

Cory turned around at the sound of her name. "Are you Antonio?"

"Yes. Follow me. We can't talk on the street." Flack and Cory followed the man into an alley.

Cory took the initiative. "I was told that you might have some information for me."

The man nodded. "I was given some information by a member of the Mala Suerte. I was told to give it to you if anything were to happen to him. I just found out about his death and was going to find you when I heard from the contact."

"Who was it that gave you the information?"

"It was Hector De La Cruz. Ortiz's right hand man. He said that the information I'm to give you will help you bring Ortiz down."

Cory nodded somberly. "What's the information?"

Antonio withdrew a piece of paper from his pocket. "Here. It's some sort of an account number. I don't know what for or where the account is. He did not give me that info."

Cory closed her eyes, realizing that how important the account number way. "That's okay. I think I know what it's for. Thank you. Will you be safe or do you want me to arrange some protection for you?"

Antonio turned to leave. "I'll be okay. One more thing, though. Hector wanted me to give you a message, too. He said to tell you that he was sorry and he should have trusted you." With that, Antonio walked out of the alley and out of sight.

Cory drew a deep breath, feeling the tears well up in her eyes. "Damn him. Why couldn't Antonio trust me? I could have protected him and Mike!"

Flack laid his hand on her shoulder. "I don't know. You can't change what has happened, you can only catch Ortiz. Listen, it's late. You're tired. You were here all night. Go home, get some sleep and start fresh tomorrow. Your mind will work better after some sleep."

Cory nodded. "You're right. Can you drop me off at my apartment? I'll call my shadow and have him meet me there."

Flack and Cory left to go to her apartment.

(The next day)

When Cory awoke the next morning, she felt a little better. The first thing that she did after getting dressed was to call John at the lab. "John. It's Cory. I need your help. Can you meet me at the NYPD crime lab? See you there."

Cory met John at the entrance to the lab. "Hey, John."

"Hi, Cory. Why did you want me to meet you here?"

Cory looked at them as they began to walk to the elevator. "There's a mole in the Bureau. This is the safest place to do what I plan on doing. I'll explain everything when we get into the lab."

Both Cory and John were silent on the ride up to the 38th floor. When they got into the computer lab, Cory turned to John. "I need to find this account. I have an account number and a pretty good idea of what bank it's for, but I'm hoping you can hack into the account and find out who it belongs to." Cory handed him the account number and gave him the name of the offshore bank where the account in Liz's name was located.

John nodded somberly. "This might take a while. The security at this bank is pretty high."

Cory smile. "I have faith in you John." With that, John began to hack into the bank's security.

A couple of hours passed before John exclaimed, "Yes!"

Cory got up and walked to his computer. "You found it?"

"Yup. The account belongs to…" John trailed off as he read the name.

Cory just stalked out of the office. She walked past Mac, Stella and Flack without saying a word, a look of pure rage on her face.

Stella ran after her. "Cory? Cory!" She caught up to here at the elevator. "What's wrong?"

Cory just looked at Stella, visibly trying to control her temper. She clinched her fists. "I just found out who the mole is." Cory stopped speaking, still trying to keep from growling.

Stella looked confused. "That's great news! Where are you going?"

Cory walked into the elevator as it opened. "To arrest my boss."

The elevator doors closed, leaving Stella standing there with her mouth hanging open.

**A/N:**

_the little corinthian- Yup. She cracked it (with a little help!) and yeah, I pity the mole to. I talk about fictional characters the same way:D It's just a good chance to stretch my imagination..._

_chili-peppers- I'm glad you like it...but I think Danny is just being stupid! He's definately not thinking straight. _

_tylerhiltiongroupie53- Yup. I did bring in a couple of the characters from WAT...It was easier than making up a couple of new characters and since the show is a based in NY, I just could pass up the opportunity! Thanks! I'm glad it's getting better, but a lot of action will do that for a story..._

_screaming-poetically---Where are you?_


	29. Betrayal

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ I still don't own Taylor Turner or her best friend (even if she is a ghost, Maddy)….Again, thanks to Axellia for letting me borrow them! This is still a sort of cliffhanger, but the case is coming to a close, so only a couple more chapters until the case if resolved! As always, please, please, please R&R! My muse loves the attention!_

Chapter 29.

**Betrayal**

As Cory walked into FBI headquarters, she had gotten control of her temper, somewhat. Taking a deep breathe she walked into Agent Michaels' office. He looked up in surprise.

"Agent Reid? What brings you here?"

Cory closed his door and turned to him, still trying to rein in her temper. "I found out who the mole is. Travis Miller." Cory waiting while the realization of whom she had identified as the mole sunk in.

"You've got to be kidding. He's been with the agency longer than me. Are you sure?"

Cory nodded. "Yeah. From a reliable source I got the account number of the offshore account where the initial deposits were being made. The account that was set up under Liz's name was a secondary account. The original account traced back to Travis."

Agent Michael looked at her. "Okay. What do you want to do about it?"

"I'm going to arrest him. I hope that I can interrogate him so that I can find the location of the missing NYPD detective. I'm afraid that if we don't find him soon, Ortiz will kill him." Cory fought down her emotions. She knew that it was important that she remain composed.

Agent Michaels thought for a moment. "Alright. I agree. I'll go with you. Let me call another couple of agents for backup. And then we can get the warrant."

Cory nodded. She knew that it was the best course of action. She decided to wait as patiently as she could in Agent Michaels office. She did not want Travis to find out that she was in the building.

Finally, she was relived to hear the ring of the fax in Agent Michaels office. She jumped up and grabbed the warrant as it was printed out. "Got it! Let's go."

Agent Michaels and the other two agents followed Cory into Travis' office.

Travis looked up surprised when Cory and the men walked in. "Cory? What's going on?"

Cory just got a cold smile on her face. "Special Agent Miller, I have a warrant for your arrest in connection with endangering national security."

Travis got a look of fear in his eyes, but tried to play dumb. "What are you talking about?"

Cory's eyes just frosted over. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say, can and will be used against you in a court of law…" Cory continued to read him his rights in a frosty tone. When she was done she looked at him. "Do you understand these rights that I have advised you of?"

"Yeah." Cory handed him over to the other two agents. She felt an immense satisfaction of seeing him walked through the building to booking in handcuffs.

About an hour later, Travis was done with booking and sitting in an interrogation room. Cory was calm as she walked into the room. She put the tape recorder on the table and turned it on. "So Travis, do you want to wait for your attorney?"

"I don't need one, since I've done nothing wrong."

"Fine. Let the record show that the accused has waived his right to an attorney to be present during questioning. Travis, why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

Cory slid some papers across the table. "I have the evidence that proves that you were taking bribes from Mala Suerte. Deposits into an offshore account for the last 2 years. Twenty thousand dollars each month. Why, Travis? Why?"

Travis just crumbled as he looked at the evidence before him. "He said that he would kill my family."

"Why not let anyone know? You know what a menace to this society that he is. We could have protected your family."

Travis looked at Cory in the eyes. "Just like you protected James?"

Cory blanched at his cruel words. "Low blow, Travis. I had no idea that Ortiz was even after James. But yeah, I would have protected him if I'd known. You have had multiple opportunities over the last two years to come clean and confess everything. It's too late now. I only have one more question for you. Where is Detective Danny Messer?"

Travis got a hard look on his face as he realized that he was not going to get any sympathy from her. "I don't know."

"Wrong answer. You've been in Ortiz's pocket to long to not know where he would take him." Cory felt her eyes become cold again. "Do you realize that if Detective Messer is killed that I can and will hold you as an accessory to the homicide of a law enforcement officer. That could mean the death penalty."

Travis got angry at her apparent nonchalance. "I told you I don't know. I'm not talking anymore without an attorney."

Cory realized that she had hit a brick wall. "Fine. Your choice. But think carefully, Travis. You help me, maybe I can help you." With that she got up and walked out of the room. She walked back to office clenching her fists in anger. She felt the stares of her fellow agents that followed her.

It was after five, so she decided to go home and try to put her anger to constructive use.

(Unknown location)

Danny was frustrated. Ortiz gave him food again. _"Obviously he wants me to stay alive. At least he did let me use the bathroom that one time. Although there was nothing in there that I might have made a weapon out of. Damn it. I hate waiting. I hope Mac figures out where I am."_

Danny had made a quick observation of his surroundings while outside of the room. He was in a house that was at least two stories. He thought, just by the sounds coming from outside the house that he was out in the country. He could not hear any traffic, only nature.

While Danny was reflecting on this, he heard the lock click open. He stood up, preparing himself to fight his way out of the house. He got an evil grin as Ortiz walked into the room. Quickly he moved across the room in front of Ortiz and attacked him.

The fight was vicious and short. Danny had the upper hand until Ortiz's lackeys walked in. Quickly they pinned the shorter man and Ortiz began to take out his anger on him.

When Ortiz got finished, Danny was lying in a bloody heap on the floor, groaning in pain. "Now, love-boy. We can't have you doing that again. Especially when you're going to have a visitor in a few hours."

Danny just looked up, realizing that Ortiz was planning on going after Cory. "Fuck you, Ortiz."

Ortiz just laughed and walked out of the room.

(Cory's apartment)

Cory had been home for an hour and had already spotlessly cleaned her apartment. She was looking for a way to keep herself occupied when her cell phone rang. "Reid."

"So abrupt, _chica?_ I thought you had better manners than that."

Cory felt her blood run cold. "Ortiz. How the hell did you get this number? Oh wait, I know. Travis. Well keep laughing, asshole. Travis is in custody. You won't get anymore info from him."

Ortiz laughed evilly. "He has served his purpose. I no longer need him. I have your lover-boy. If you want even a chance to save him, you'll meet me at the Martinez brother's warehouse in an hour. Don't be late or bring back-up. Unless you are alone, he dies." Ortiz hung up.

Cory fought down the urge to throw her phone across the room and instead threw the book she had just picked up instead. _"It's not a breaking sound, but it's still a little cathartic."_

Quickly she got dressed in a pair of jeans, a camisole and a pair of Doc Marten boots. She grabbed her cell phone and gun and left the apartment.

About 45 minutes after she got the call, she was pulling up to the warehouse. Warily she scanned the outside of the building, looking for a possible trap. When she found nothing, she got out of her car.

Cautiously, Cory walked up to the building. She was still scanning for potential threats. She decided to enter using the standard police entry method. The building was empty. "Damn it! Ortiz, I'm going to kill you!" Cory lowered her gun and turned to walk out of the building. She was startled to see Ortiz standing by the door.

"_Hola, Chica!_ Glad to see you could make it and without back-up, too. I never thought you'd be so stupid. Do you really think that I would keep your lover-boy here? Give me some credit."

Cory bit back a curse. "Why the cloak and dagger then?"

Ortiz grinned. "To get you alone, _mi querido._ Is it wrong to want to spend some quality alone time with the love of my life?"

Cory didn't bother to hold back her curse this time, although she did curse in French. _"Vous porc stupide._ I am not the love of your life. You killed any positive feelings I had for you when you killed James. And I swear, if Danny is dead so are you."

"Nice to see you still have some fire in you, _Chica_." Ortiz looked at a point over her shoulder. "Take her."

Cory felt the blow to her head and then nothing but darkness.

(Taylor's Apartment)

Taylor was getting ready for bed when she felt the temperature in her room drop. She looked up to see Maddy, the ghost of her dead best friend who helped her out, and what appeared to be two ghosts of Michael Hogan standing there. Only one of them had the holes in is chest though.

"What the hell is going on, Maddy? Why are there two Michael Hogan's?"

Maddy looked at her understanding her confusion. "Not two Michaels. But you know the rules, I can't disclose anymore. Though I will tell you the reason I was not here the first time. Both of these ghosts have already crossed over. Technically, I'm not supposed to be here and neither are they."

Taylor looked up at that bit of information. "They've already crossed over? I thought that you couldn't come back if you've already crossed." Maddy just shrugged her shoulders. Taylor turned to the two ghosts, expectantly.

The one with the bullet holes just looked at her. "Help him."

The other ghost also looked at her. "Help her." He held up a piece of paper, a newspaper article about the bust of a human slave ring. Then all three ghosts disappeared.

Taylor just looked at the spot where they had only been moments before. "I need a vacation." She got dressed again and turned to go to the crime lab.

(Crime Lab)

When Taylor walked into the lab, she found it atypically quiet. She found Stella and Hawkes in a lab, processing evidence. "Hi, guys."

Stella looked at her. "Taylor? What are you doing here?'

Taylor shrugged. "The usual. I had a visit from two ghosts. But they both looked like Michael Hogan. I'm so confused."

Hawkes looked up at that. "Michael had a twin brother named James. James was Cory's fiancé before Ortiz killed him."

Realization dawned in Taylor's eyes. "Oh. That explains it. Shit." Taylor withdrew her cell phone and dialed Cory's number. "Come on, pick up." When Cory's voicemail came on she hung up the phone as fear ran through her body. "This is not good."

Stella looked at her sharply. "What?"

"The two ghosts. Michael said, 'Help him.' I guess he was still talking about Danny. But the other one, who I guess was James, said, 'Help her.' I think Ortiz might have Cory."

"WHAT!" Both Hawkes and Stella leapt up at this.

"I just called her and she's not picking up on her cell phone."

Stella looked at Hawkes. "Take Flack and go to her apartment. I'll call the FBI."

Hawkes ran out of the lab, looking for Flack.

Stella picked up the phone and dialed the FBI. "Yes, I'd like to talk to someone about the Mala Suerte case. No I do not want to talk to Special Agent Reid. I need to talk to her boss. Fine, put Special Agent Michaels on the phone." Stella was getting impatient. "Special Agent Michaels. I'm Detective Stella Bonasera from the NYPD crime lab. Do you still have protection on Agent Corrine Reid? You don't? Damn. I have reason to believe that Ortiz has taken her." Stella held the phone away from her ear as Agent Michael yelled into the phone. "Yes, sir. I'll keep you in the loop."

Taylor looked at her when she got off the phone. "She doesn't have a bodyguard anymore?"

Stella shook her head no. "She refused to keep the protection once she arrested her boss for being the mole."

"Her boss was the mole! You'd better explain."

Stella and Taylor sat down while Stella filled Taylor in with what was going on.

(Cory's Apartment)

Flack and Hawkes walked up to Cory's apartment.

Flack looked at the door carefully. "Doesn't look like any kind of forced entry." He opened the door with the key he'd gotten from Lindsay. Lindsay was upset that she was not able to go with him, but she was involved with processing some evidence that she could not leave.

Flack looked around the apartment and found no signs of a struggle. "I guess she wasn't taken from here. This place is spotless."

"You're right, Flack. This place was just cleaned. I'd still like to process it, just in case Ortiz cleaned up after himself."

Thirty minutes later, even Hawkes was frustrated. "Nothing. No evidence whatsoever." Hawkes just packed up his kit and left with Flack to go back to the lab.

(Crime Lab)

By the time that Hawkes and Flack had returned, Stella was done bringing Taylor up to speed. Once the men had returned, Mac and Lindsay joined them in the lab.

"Did you find anything?" Mac said.

Hawkes shook his head. "No. The place was spotless. It was just cleaned. No sign of a struggle or of a forced entry."

Taylor decided to speak up, remembering the newspaper article the ghost of James had held up. "I don't know what this might mean, but the ghost of James held up a newspaper article about the bust of a human slave ring. Does that ring any bells?"

Mac nodded his head. "It does. We worked that case. Could it be that she went to the warehouse where they were found? I don't care if it's a long shot, let's go." The whole group got up and followed Mac out of the lab.

(Martinez Brother's warehouse)

After the uniformed cops had secured the area, the team walked into the building. It was full of dust and looked to be unused. They had just turned to leave when they heard a phone ringing.

Lindsay followed the sound of the ringing and soon called everyone to a corner of the warehouse. "Here! It's a cell phone and gun. It looks like Cory's. Why was her cell phone ringing?"

Taylor hung up her phone. "I was calling it to see if I could hear any ringing."

Mac walked over to the scene. "There are signs of a struggle here. I don't like this. Where did Ortiz take her?" He looked at the rest of the team and realized they all had varying expressions of fear on their faces. Sighing, he bent down and began to process the scene.

**A/N:**

_stargazr- I'm glad you got excited when you saw this had been updated! It makes me happy knowing that people really do like this story! Cory may get a chance to kick ass, but not with Travis... :D_

_tylerhiltongroupie53- I know she didn't exactly find him in the chapter, but was that soon enough:p I might elaborate on Flack and Elena's past, but I hadn't really thought about that...Maybe I'll do a short (and I mean SHORT) story about them and what Linds really thinks about it! You'll have to convince me though:D_

_the little corinthian- Well he did sock him in this chapter, but only got beat down for his trouble...but don't worry, Ortiz will get what's coming to him! I'm glad you'd figured out the mole! And I hope your roommate doesn't kill you for yelling that you were right!_

_axellia-You know ff is just being tempermental! Nope to the WaT characters...I only plan on using Jack and Elena right now...As much as I'd love to include Martin and Danny (but that would be soooo confusing with 2 Danny's) I just don't have a place for them right now. Maybe I'll right another story with a WaT crossover (I don't know if Cory would be in it though)...I liked the fact that Lindsay asked why Flack let Elena go (who, the woman who plays here I just found out was Miss Puerto Rico Petite at one time)...I've never watched 24 (I always wanted to, but with the lack of time, I've never had the chance), but I agree...You do think that they would screen their personnel better!_

_chili-peppers- Thank you! Diolch! Merci! Grazie! Danka! Gracias! (okay...That's all the languages I know thank you in)...I'm glad that you love it... :D_

_pnkrckprncss- Now why would I kill Danny? If I did that then I would have to kill Cory because she would go crazy! Yeah, she does want to kill Travis, but she is choosing the route of being a calm and controled ice bitch to him. That should scare him more! Give me a good idea for a sequel and I can be persuaded to write one!_


	30. Time's Running Out

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ I still don't own Taylor Turner or Maddy….Again, thanks to Axellia for letting me borrow them! As always, please, please, please R&R! My muse loves the attention! Also, I did put the translations of the Italian and French at the end of the chapter. I'll put them in the order that they are in the chapter! Btw...fluff is coming in Chapter 33...so if you can stay with me through the remaining angst until then, everyone will get a little breather!_

Chapter 30.

**Times Running Out**

(Unknown location)

Danny heard the door open, but was unable to get up. _"Damn. I hope Ortiz didn't break a rib."_

"I have a surprise for you lover-boy."

Danny turned his head and began to curse at the sight of an unconscious Cory. "What the hell did you do to her Ortiz!

Ortiz didn't say anything. He just dumped Cory onto the mattress and left the room.

Danny leaned over her. "Cory? _Bella?_ Come on, _bella_. Wake up." Danny stroked her head. When he felt a bump on the back of it and a barely controlled rage flowed through his body. "I'm going to kill the bastard. _Ti amo. Svegli prego presto._" He continued to murmur to her in Italian, hoping that she would wake up soon.

Cory felt a soft touch on her head. She heard someone talking but she wouldn't make out what the person was saying. _"What the hell happened?"_ She tried to get her mind to start working, but it refused to cooperate. Finally she got her brain to tell her eyes to open and she looked up and saw Danny.

"Danny? Is that really you?"

"_Bella?_ Of course it is! Are you alright?" Danny looked down at her with concern in his eyes.

"Other than the raging headache, I think I'm fine. Damn. I guess it's time for plan B."

Danny looked confused. "Plan B?"

Cory slowly maneuvered herself into a sitting position. "Yeah. Plan A was getting Ortiz to take me to where you were and then once here, text message Mac and let him know where we were. But since I was unconscious during the trip here…" Cory trailed off. "Where are we?"

Danny shook his head. "I have no idea. I think we are in the country. I haven't heard any normal city sounds since I got here. I guess Ortiz took your cell phone and gun. Did you really expect him to let you keep your phone?"

"Not my work phone, no." Cory paused and looked around the room. "Are there cameras and microphones in here?"

"Um…No. I haven't found any and I've pretty much taken this place apart." The confused look in Danny's eyes just grew.

"Good." Cory got up and reached into her pocket. She withdrew a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. "Glad he left these with me."

"Corinne Reid! You are not going to smoke!" Danny looked like he was in shock now.

Cory just rolled her eyes. "You know? Sometimes it's good to have habits. Habits that certain stalkers know about."

"What?"

Cory exhaled. "When James was killed, I started smoking. Since then, every time something goes wrong in a case, I always have a cigarette. Ortiz knows this. He expected this. That's why…" Cory trailed off as she took a cigarette out of the pack and lit it. She inhaled slowly. When she was done she just looked at Danny.

"You have completely lost me. What the hell are you doing?"

"What Ortiz expects. It's a mind game. One that he will not beat me at."

Danny shook his head. "How is you smoking playing a mind game?"

Cory smiled now. She turned the pack of cigarettes upside down and a slim Razor cell phone fell out onto the bed. "Because, since I don't smoke anymore I can hide a cell phone in a pack of cigarettes!"

Danny's eyes grew wide at the realization of what Cory had done. "You've got to be kidding me. You hid a cell phone in a pack of cigarettes? That's….that's…." Danny could find the word he was looking for.

"Diabolically smart?"

"Um...yeah…that. How? Why?" Danny was still unable to put a coherent thought together.

Cory turned the phone on. "Damn. We must be in the country. There's no signal! Okay. Plan B down…Time to come up with plan C!"

Danny looked at her. "You are insane!"

"Nope. I'm just crafty! Come on, Danny. I knew when Ortiz called me it was a trap. It didn't go exactly how I planned, but you have to be creative when trying to catch an arrogant SOB who wants to kill your boyfriend. Work with me here!"

That seemed to snap Danny back into reality. "Okay. Fine. What else do you have up your sleeve?"

Cory just laughed. "I don't have sleeves, but I have boots. Steel-toed boots at that." Cory leaned over and began to unlace the boots. Then she pulled two pocket knives out of them. "I have these." She looked at Danny with a twinkle in her eyes. "Never mess with a Texan. You never know how they are armed." Cory heard footsteps in the hall. Quickly she put the knives back into her boots and laced them back up. She hid the cell phone under the mattress. She leaned back, still smoking her cigarette.

The door opened and Ortiz walked in. "_Chica._ Glad to see you're awake." Both Cory and Danny got to their feet. Cory stamped out the cigarette under her boot.

Danny looked at Cory in amazement when she graphically told Ortiz what he could do to himself with several animals and a gun. _"Where the hell did she learn to cuss like that! Even I never would have said that!"_

For once, Ortiz did not smile. "I see I'm going to have to teach you manners." He raised his hand to strike her, but Danny interposed himself between them and took to blow meant for her. "So you want to protect her, lover-boy? Fine." Ortiz began to land blows onto Danny.

Cory moved to help him, but two men held her. She tried to kick them, but they had her legs pinned, too. "Stop! Ortiz, stop it!" Cory just could helplessly yell at the man beating Danny to a pulp.

(Crime Lab)

The team was back in the crime lab. Stella and Lindsay were researching all the properties that Cory had listed to see if it was possible that Ortiz had taken them there. Both FBI and NYPD teams were checking all the locations as the women identified them.

Taylor was sitting in the break room, upset that she could not do anything else to help her friends out. Suddenly, Maddy, James and Michael appeared in front of her. Maddy was looking sad and fearful. James and Michael had unreadable expressions on their faces.

"Any news?" Maddy asked.

"We know that Ortiz took Cory and from what Mac had said, he plans on killing Danny in front of her. That means we are working on a deadline now. We just don't now how long we have."

James looked at Taylor. "Save her."

Taylor looked at him. "I'm trying, but we've hit a brick wall. I honestly don't know where to go from here."

He continued to look at her. "Save her." He picked up a pencil sitting on the table and wrote a series of numbers on the counter.

Taylor looked at it. "4-6-9-5-5-5-1-2-3-4. Is that a phone number?" The three ghosts just disappeared as she memorized the numbers. Quickly she ran back to the lab.

"Mac! Hawkes! I might have something. James just gave me a phone number. 469-555-1234. Can you trace it?"

Mac went over to the computer and ran a search. "It's a Dallas cell phone number and the registered owner is….C. Reid. Could that be Cory's cell phone?" Mac quickly decided to try to see if the phone was on and triangulate the area where it was located. "Damn it. It's not on. Let me see if I can remotely turn it on." He punched in some more codes, but nothing happened. "It must be out of the range of a cell phone tower."

Taylor looked confused. "I don't get it. Ghosts don't give me bad information. Maybe we just have to keep trying to see if it comes back into a cell area." Mac agreed and left the computer to keep trying to find the phone.

(Unknown Location)

Cory knelt beside the mattress that an unconscious Danny was lying on. Tears were flowing down her face. "Damn you, Messer! Why did you have to go all white knight on me? Huh? Ortiz would not have beaten me like he beat you? He doesn't want me dead! He wants you dead."

Cory carefully examined Danny's body, looking to see if any of his wounds were life-threatening. Breathing a sigh of relief, the only thing she could find was a broken left wrist. _"Tu est très chanceux! Mon cherie. Je t'aime avec tout mon coeur. S'il vous plais de phase, pour moi._ Please live, baby. I can't live without you." Cory continued murmuring please live in French until she felt Danny stir.

"Danny? _Mon cherie?_ Are you okay?"

Danny groaned as pain shot through his body. "Did you get the license of the truck that hit me?" He tried to laugh, but pain shot through his ribs as he inhaled. "Damn. I think I might have a broken rib."

Cory was sobbing in relief. She laughed a bit at his joke and then grew serious. "You just have some cracked ribs. Why did you jump in front of me?"

"I had to protect you from that…that _parte della merda del cavall!"_

"Danny. As romantic as that was…Ortiz would not have hurt me. He's obsessed with me and wants me to be with him. At worst, I might have a black eye. Remember? He wants to kill you!"

"Yeah, well. I wasn't thinking with my brain. I was thinking with my heart. _Ti amo."_ Danny was shocked as the confession came out. _"At least it was in Italian. She doesn't speak that."_

Cory looked shocked. _"He loves me!"_ Italian was enough like French at she understood what he had just told her. Her heart swelled in happiness. "Danny? _Je sais. Je t'aime, aussi."_

"What?"

"I know. I love you, too."

"How did you know what I had said?"

"Come on, Messer. French is enough like Italian that I understand a little bit. Both languages are from Latin. The Latin work for love is _amor._ So in French it is _amour,_ and in Italian it's _amore._ Simple deduction."

Danny just groaned. "Is it wrong for me to get turned on by your brain?"

Cory laughed. "Nope. I'm going to see if I can get a signal on the phone. I can't believe that Ortiz would not be able to use a cell phone here." She got up off the bed and grabbed the phone.

Slowly she walked around the room. As she got closer to the air vent she saw some signal bars on the phone. "This is weird. I'm getting a little signal here. I wonder."

Danny groaned as he got up. "You wonder what?"

"What if Ortiz put something on the walls to block cell phones? It makes sense. If I could just get up to the air vent, I might be able to call someone."

Danny thought about it. "You could stand on my shoulders."

Cory immediately vetoed the idea. "Danny, you're hurt and in pain. I don't want to hurt you even more."

Danny was insistent. "It's better than being dead."

Cory saw the sense in her plan. "Fine. I don't like it, though." She bent down and pulled a knife out of her boot. She quickly typed a text message to Mac. Then she carefully got on Danny's shoulders. When she was even with the vent, she used her knife to take the screws holding the vent into place out. She put the phone in the vent and hit send.

The hair prickled on her neck. Somehow she realized that they might be caught. She left the phone in the vent and quickly put it back into place. She put the knife in her pocket and looked at Danny when she heard footsteps. "Hurry! Get back on the mattress. We can't let them know about this."

The two quickly resumed their previous positions right before Ortiz walked in.

"It's time, _mi amor_. You're going to me mine soon." Cory just stayed silent as Ortiz dragged them out of the room.

(Crime Lab)

Mac looked at his phone as soon as it beeped. "It's a text message." He read the message and took off towards the computer lab at a dead run. Stella, who had been having coffee with him, didn't question. She just followed him.

She found him in the lab and quickly the rest of the team joined him. "What's going on, Mac?" asked Lindsay.

"I just got a text message from Cory. She said, "Find the cell phone and you'll find us." He quickly ran a new search. "There! Look, they are in Poughkeepsie. That's about two hours from here. We don't have that kind of time. Maybe the FBI will loan us a helicopter."

Mac looked determined as he dialed Agent Michaels number.

Lindsay looked at Flack. Her hand over her mouth. _"Please, God. Let us get to them in time!"_

**A/N:**

_Bella.—Beautiful_

_Ti amo. Svegli prego presto. – I love you. Please wake up soon._

"_Tu est très chanceux! Mon cherie. Je t'aime avec tout mon coeur. S'il vous plais de phase, pour moi.—You are very lucky! My darling. I love you with all my heart. Please live for me._

_parte della merda del cavall!—piece of horse shit._

_the little corinthian- thank you for the happy dance...Danny may be hurt but he still is wanting to open up a can of whoop ass on Ortiz! Yup. Cory is going to be less than pleased at Danny's state, but really, Ortiz has been going kinda light on him! I'm glad you have faith that Mac will figure it all out!_

_tylerhiltongroupie53- I will probably do a one shot about them. I'm not as well versed in Elena's character since I kinda dropped off the WaT bandwagon last season after they completely dropped the "Martin doing drugs" story line! I got a little peeved at the writers about that! Danny of course found out about Cory when Ortiz dropped her in the room with him (big mistake, btw)... :D_

_axellia- glad I could help you get through work! (which btw, it was 107F here today and our power went off at work. I work on the 10th floor and was down on the concourse level so I got the privelage of walking up 11 flights of stairs! yeah!) Yum...Sam and Dean (my mind took up the residence in the gutter at that thought)...They are just...YUM! With Cory the more calm and cold see gets the angrier she is, so Travis should definately watch out!_

_chili-peppers-Yup, Ortiz really screwed up by kidnapping Cory. She has a lot of pent up anger against him and well...it was just a stupid mistake on his part! I'm glad you like Flack and Lindsay's relationship..._

_note to pnkrckprcss-- I'm thinking that the chapter total is going up! It may actually reach 50...since this part of the story took more chapters to complete than I had anticipated!_


	31. Rescue

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ I still don't own Taylor Turner or Maddy….Again, thanks to Axellia for letting me borrow them! As always, please, please, please R&R! My muse loves the attention! Sorry for the long wait, y'all. I tried to update last night, but ff was being...ummm...tempermental!_

Chapter 31.

**Rescue**

Mac and the rest of the team walked into FBI Headquarters. Mac stopped at the reception desk. "Excuse me. I'm looking for Agent Michaels. We are with the NYPD."

The receptionist smiled at Mac and said, "He left word that you would be arriving. Here are your visitor's badges and I'll get Andrew to escort you to his office. Have a nice day."

The team followed the man that the receptionist had pointed out. He led them to an office on the 9th floor. "Here you go."

The six people walked into the office to see Agent Michaels talking on the phone. "Yes. That's what is planned. Please have EMT's standing by. We'll be there in approximately 30 minutes." He hung up the phone. "Detective Taylor?"

Mac stepped forward. "Agent Michaels, good to meet you. I wish it was under better circumstances."

The two men shook hands. "Since you called with the location, I've had a team researching the house. It turns out that Ortiz purchased it about a month ago. It was titled under the name James Hogan."

Mac looked at that bit of information. "Cory's dead fiancé? That's morbid."

Agent Michaels nodded. "I agree. I believe that he did that on purpose as a way of punishing her even more. Damn. I should have taken her off the case sooner."

Mac just shook his head. "I don't think that it would have made any difference. He was after her. Taking her off the case would not have saved her. He reached his breaking point where whatever fantasy that he has about her in his mind was not enough. He had to have her."

Agent Michaels shook his head in agreement. "With that said, there is only room on the helicopter for three additional people. Who of your team is going to be coming along?"

Mac looked at the team. He locked eyes with Stella and hoped she understood his decision. "Flack, Hawkes and myself. Hawkes is a doctor, but I hope we won't need that particular talent of his."

Stella looked in Mac's eyes and understood why he had chosen them. Beside her both Lindsay and Taylor were silently fuming as the four men walked out of the room.

Taylor was the first to speak after the men left. "Why are we left here? I don't understand."

Stella looked at Taylor. "Mac was a marine; he has experience in this kind of thing. Flack, also has the experience. He chose Hawkes just in case they are injured. He wants to have more than a paramedic there."

That mollified the other women. Stella began to pace in the office, unable to keep still. "I hope Mac calls soon with information. Otherwise, I might go a little stir crazy!"

(House in Poughkeepsie)

Cory was in shock. She never believed that Ortiz would actually carry out his treat. She tried to get her mind back to working, but she just stared at Danny. He was tied up with his hands over his head. Ortiz had beaten him until he was unconscious. One of the two men with him was behind Danny laughing.

Ortiz turned to Cory and the one man that was holding her. "So, _chica._ You ready to see your lover-boy die?"

Cory growled in the back of her throat. "Fuck you, Ortiz. I'm going to kill you slowly. I'm going to cover you in honey and stake you to a fire ant bed in the middle of no where. When they find your bones, no one around will care who it was that died."

"Oh, _chica_, you're all talk and not action. You would never do that. You believe in the system to much to take justice into your own hands." Ortiz turned back to Danny, cracking his knuckles.

Suddenly the air temperature in the room dropped dramatically. Cory looked around and standing to the side she saw the ghosts of James and Michael. _"Oh, my. Please help me! Please help Danny!"_ she cried in her head, hoping that they would understand her and be able to help.

Ortiz, Antonio and Jose looked around at the drop in temperature. "Antonio," he said, gesturing to the man behind Danny. "Go check it out. I want to know why the temperature just changed."

The ghost of Michael followed Antonio out of the room. The ghost of James looked at her. She saw a familiar expression in his eyes as the plan began to form in her head. Cory made sure that Ortiz and Jose were not looking at her as she slipped her hand into her pocket to grab her knife.

All of the sudden Cory saw a chair in the corner of the room throw itself at Ortiz. It knocked him down and the gun he was holding skidded into another corner. She took advantage of the distraction to wrench herself away from Jose.

Jose snarled at her and made a move to grab her again. This time, however, Cory took advantage of her steel-toed boots and lashed out with her foot. He fell to the ground as she struck him in the groin. "You bitch!"

"I may be a bitch, but you will not touch me again. If you do, I'll kill you." Cory was taken by surprise as Ortiz grabbed her from behind. She struggled as his arm tightened across her throat, cutting off the airflow.

Gasping for air, Cory brought up the knife and slashed his arm causing him to lose his grip. Quickly she wheeled around, bringing the knife into a defensive position. "I'll warn you this one time, Carlos. Let me go. Let Danny go. If you don't you may never get the chance to sire children.

Ortiz just looked at her in astonishment. "Never. You are mine. I control you. You're mine."

Cory just laughed. "You lost all say into anything I did the moment you joined Mala Suerte. I've learned a lot in the last seven years. Things that you forced me to learn by killing James."

"I can still take you."

Danny groaned at that moment, waking up. He looked up to see Cory and Ortiz facing each other in a fighting stance. "What the hell is going on?"

Ortiz growled, not sparing a glace at Danny. "Shut up."

Cory just smiled. "Don't worry, _mon cherie,_ I'll have you free in a second."

Danny could only watch in amazement while the two circled each other warily. Each seemed reluctant to make the first move. Ortiz finally moved making a grab for Cory's knife. She lashed out with her foot, kicking his leg.

"You bitch. You will pay for that!" He tried to grab her again, but she evaded his grasp again.

"Is that all you got Ortiz? My grandmother fights better than you," Cory sneered.

Danny looked up at that comment. He had never seen this side of Cory and was intrigued. Vaguely his mind registered how cold in was in the room. He glanced around and saw one of the other two men lying on the ground in a fetal position. _"What the hell happened to him?"_ Just then he felt the rope binding his wrists to the pole come undone. Without its support, he dropped to the ground in too much pain to even stand.

Cory was still watching Ortiz when she saw Danny slump to the ground. She smiled evilly. "Come on, Ortiz. Show me what ya got." This time she decided to take the offensive. She approached him and as he grabbed for her gave him a roundhouse kick to the jaw.

Ortiz staggered back at the blow. Enraged he decided to overpower her with sheer force. He rushed her like a linebacker and threw her to the ground.

Stars appeared before Cory's eyes as her head impacted with the ground. Her defensive training kicked in. Unconsciously she drew her knee up and landed a blow into Ortiz's groin, just as he took the knife from her. In the position she was in, she was unable to get to the second knife in her boot. She hissed in pain as she felt the knife blade enter her shoulder.

The pain just galvanized her. It made her realize that she had to neutralize him before he actually killed her. She brought the palm of her hand up and struck at blow to his nose. This caused him to move enough to allow her to move away from him.

Cory put her hand up to the shoulder where she was stabbed. "You'll pay for that."

She scanned the room, looking for the gun. She saw it in the corner. Quickly she began to circle Ortiz again, to try to bring herself into a position where she could grab it. Ortiz moved in again and she kicked out again. This time she knocked the knife out of hand. It skidded across the floor to stop in front of Danny.

Danny watched in horror when Ortiz stabbed Cory. He was stunned with how quickly she recovered and grabbed the knife when it stopped in front of him.

Ortiz grabbed her again, but this time she stepped on the insole of his foot. He grunted in pain and loosened his hold somewhat. She turned, giving herself a little space and aimed a kick at his head. This time he dropped to the floor and when his head hit the concrete floor he was knocked out.

Cory stood wobbly. She was happy that she had fought him and won and started to make her way to Danny. She was walking like she was drunk and several feet from him she fell to the ground. "Sorry. Can't seem to move anymore…the adrenaline is wearing off." As soon as she uttered those words, she passed out.

"Shit. _Bella? Bella, _come on wake up. You need to stay conscious." He noticed Jose starting to move and realized that he had no way to defend himself.

Jose looked at the two helpless people and made a move for the gun. His eyes just opened wide when the gun moved across the room to stop by Danny. As Danny grabbed the gun, Jose just sat back down figuring that the gods were against him.

Danny stared at the gun in his hand. _"How did that move from across the room? Am I going crazy?"_ He was not one to look good fortune in the mouth and he held the gun so he could cover both men. _"Okay. So how are we going to get out of here?"_

(10 minutes previous, outside of Poughkeepsie)

As soon as the helicopter landing the combined FBI and NYPD team got out of it. They ran to waiting cars and jumped in. Soon a caravan of four cars and two ambulances were racing through the city of Poughkeepsie to the address that was a little outside of town. Once they were close to it all of the vehicles turned off the lights and sirens, not wanting to alert Ortiz that they were coming.

The pulled to a stop in front of the house. The local police captain got out. He walked over to the assembled group. "Are you sure this is the right place?"

Agent Michaels shook his head yes. "This is where her cell phone is. This has to be the place." Quickly he directed the team into an entry force. Half he sent to the back of the house, while the other half that included Mac, Flack and Hawkes were going in the front.

All of the agents drew their guns. Agent Michaels nodded to each one and they began to walk to the house. Once at the door, he pounded it on it. "FBI! Open up!" At the lack of response he nodded to an agent with a battering ram. "Open it."

The agent made short work of the door and soon it was hanging lazily from its hinges. Agent Michaels and Mac went in first. Three FBI agents took the upstairs while Michaels, Mac, Flack and Hawkes cautiously searched the downstairs.

The came to a room where the door was closed. Motioning for silence Agent Michaels slowly opened it. When he looked in, he saw Danny and Cory lying on the floor. "In here!" The rest of the team followed quickly.

Danny looked up in relief when he saw Mac and Flack. Then he noticed Hawkes and was even more relieved. "Hawkes. Get over here! Cory's been stabbed in the shoulder."

Hawkes quickly made is way over to him, taking note that Danny looked like a walking bruise and was cradling his left arm to his body. Instantly he went into doctor mode. "What happened to her?"

"She and Ortiz were fighting. He stabbed her, but she didn't seem to feel it. After she was done kicking his ass, she just collapsed."

Hawkes examined her carefully while the FBI agents took Ortiz and Jose into custody. 'I think that she just overexerted herself. The knife wound is pretty minor. She's lost a little bit of blood, but not a lot."

At Agent Michaels request the paramedics came in. Hawkes looked at them and requested bandages. He proceeded to bandage her wound and check her head. He noticed to large lumps on the back. "The only things that concern me are the blows to the head she took. What did Ortiz hit her with?"

Danny thought back carefully. "When he kidnapped her? I don't know. I do know that at one point in the fight he tackled her and she hit her head pretty hard on the floor."

Hawkes nodded. "Let's load her onto the stretcher carefully. She might have a concussion." The paramedics did that and started to take her back to the ambulance. "Now, Messer. Let me look at you." Hawkes started to examine Danny. "Man, he did a number on you. The good news is that the only broken bone I found was your wrist. I think your ribs might be cracked and I'm worried about any internal damage. Otherwise, you appear to be very lucky."

Danny looked around as the other paramedics were examining Ortiz. He laughed at how many bruises were appearing on the other man's skin and the bandage on his arm was turning red from where Cory cut him.

Mac and Flack looked at Danny when he laughed. Mac raised his eyebrows and asked, "What's so funny?"

Danny tried to stop laughing but was unable to. "I'm just laughing at how bad he got his ass kicked by a girl! By the way, Flack? Never piss Cory off."

Flack looked at Danny. "What do you mean?"

Danny looked at Ortiz while he responded. "I mean that I was completely out of the picture for the fight. I never laid a hand on him. She did all of that."

Flack looked at Ortiz, his eyes opening wide in shock. "You're kiddin' me, right?"

"Naw, man. It's the truth." Danny grunted in pain when the paramedics helped him onto the stretcher. They began to make their way to the ambulance, Flack decided to ride with Danny while Hawkes was going to ride with Cory. Mac was staying behind to process the scene. "Hey, Mac!" Danny yelled while being wheeled out of the house.

Mac walked up to him. "Yeah?"

"Cory's cell phone is in the air vent in the room that we were kept in. On the second floor. Will you make sure she gets it back? And…what happened to the second guy?"

"I'll make sure I get it. The other FBI agents found him in a locked closet going on about how this house must be haunted since the door closed itself and would not let him out. I think he's trying to go for the insanity plea. Get to the hospital. I'll see both of you guys at the there. I have to call Stella and let her know that you guys are alright."

With that the paramedics loaded Danny into the ambulance and started to drive to the hospital.

**A/N:**

_the little corinthian - Did you friend learn not to mess with Texas or you? I must hear the story now! Cory takes your Woot and raises it to a Woot, Woot with this chapter! Mac being all 007...That's a great image!_

_chili-peppers- Take a deep breath! Don't hyperventilate in your excitement...and you're right. He thinks he knows her, but he doesn't so that leaves the field wide open for her to be creative! Glad you like her creativity!_

_pnkrckprncss- Glad you're happy with the extra chappies! I never imagined that this story would reach even thirty chapter and now I'm over that! I guess my muse just likes the story a lot! I'm having a problem thinking of a sequel and I know how the story ends!_

_tylerhiltongroupie52- So I posted the Flack/Elena oneshot! It's called Fractured. I hope you like it, it's pure angst!_

_axellia- I like her resourcefulness, too. It's makes her very fun to write. I never would have thought to put a cell phone in a cigarette pack! The X-rated will come soon...She still a little leary of that because of James. I'm glad I can help you get through work!_


	32. Saying Goodbye

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ I still don't own Taylor Turner or Maddy….Again, thanks to Axellia for letting me borrow them! Okay…despite the chapter tile, this is not (I repeat, is NOT) the final chapter….I still have quite a few things planned for everyone. The chapter title is intentional since…well just read on and you will find out why:D As always, please, please, please R&R! My muse loves the attention! _

Chapter 32.

**Saying Goodbye**

When Cory awoke she was confused. She tried to open her eyes but was blinded by the bright florescent lights above her. She tried to remember where she was when she heard the sounds of a hospital page. _"How did I get to the hospital? Why am I in the hospital?"_

Cory moved her head when she heard someone walk in. She tried to open her eyes again, preparing herself for the bright light. Slowly she eased her eyes open. When her eyes adjusted, she saw a doctor standing by her bed. "What happened?"

"Ah, Agent Reid. I see that you are awake. How are you feeling?"

"My head and shoulder hurt and I don't know how I got to the hospital. Other than that, I'm okay. How's Danny?"

"I'm not sure. I'm not involved in his case. You were very lucky though. The knife did not hit any major arteries. I do believe that you have some visitors." The doctor turned and walked out of the room. Mac, Stella, Lindsay, Flack, Hawkes and Taylor walked in.

Lindsay rushed up to the bed. "Cory, I'm so glad you are okay! I was so worried about you."

"Thank you. Where am I?"

Mac answered. "You are at St. Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie, New York."

"Okay. How did I get here?"

Flack was the one who answered this time. "In an ambulance."

Cory rolled her eyes and mimed throwing a punch at him. "Flack. I'm warning you, anymore of your lip and I'm gonna punch you!" She started laughing after she said this, unable to keep a straight face.

Flack raised his hands in mock surrender. "Oh, no! Danny told me about you…I'm eternally sorry for making a smart-ass comment. How can I ever make it up to you?"

"Tell me where Danny is."

"Danny's right here," said a voice from the doorway. Danny rolled into the room in a wheelchair. "_Ciao, Bella._ How are you doing?"

Cory began beaming as soon as Danny came into sight. "I'm better now. How 'bout you?"

"Been better, but my day's already looking up with Ortiz in bracelets."

"How's he doing?"

The rest of the team was watching this exchange like a tennis match at Wimbledon. Stella coughed discreetly to let the two know they were still in the room and Cory just turned bright red at the realization.

Lindsay realized how uncomfortable Cory felt and decided to change the subject. "How did Ortiz get you?"

Cory looked down sheepishly, "Um….I was at home cleaning because I was pissed off at Travis when my cell phone rang. It was Ortiz. He told me to meet him alone at the Martinez brother's warehouse if I wanted to see Danny alive. So I went."

"WHAT!" yelled Mac and Stella in unison.

Lindsay glared at Cory. "Are you insane?"

Cory returned her glare. "I knew that it was a trap. I'm not stupid, but I had a plan."

Mac looked at Cory in disbelief. "What plan? To get kidnapped so that no one would know where you were? Or to get to where Danny was effectively putting a time limit on how long we had to find him? What the hell were you thinking? You're smarter than that."

Mac's disappointment stung Cory. She felt tears well up in her eyes, but fought them down. "Look. I'm a FBI agent. I knew what I was doing. I knew that if I didn't show up then Danny was dead anyway. Besides, it worked out in the end. Danny and I are safe and Ortiz is going to jail."

Flack also glared at Cory with disappointment filling his eyes. "Didn't you learn anything from Michael and Armando's deaths? Look what happened to them when they didn't tell anyone what they were doing! Did you really want us to find your corpses?"

Cory felt her control snap and tears began to run down her face. "Ya know what Flack? Screw you! Get the hell out of my room!" After Cory yelled at him, she turned on her side so that her back was to the team and silent sobs racked her body.

Lindsay turned and looked at Flack in disbelief at his cruel words. She walked up to him and punched him in the arm. "You and me. On the roof. Right now!" As she walked by him, she grabbed his arm and dragged him down the hallway after her.

Danny looked at the rest of the team and with a nod of his head they left the room.

"_Bella? Tesoro?_ It's okay. _Bella,_ look at me? _Per favore?_" Danny carefully rolled himself to the bed, facing Cory. "_Bella,_ Flack was just being an ass. Sometimes his mouth opens without his brain being engaged in the thought process. I'm sure he didn't mean it. He just thinks about you like his sister and you scared him. Hell, you scared the shit outta me!"

Cory sniffed, her tears slowing. "I know. I'm sorry, but Danny…I couldn't lose you. Not to Ortiz. Not again. If he had killed you…" The tears started flowing harder.

"_Bella._" Danny was at a loss for words. He just picked up her hand and held it in his while she cried herself to sleep.

(Rooftop)

"Lindsay? What are you doing?" Flack demanded as soon as they got to the roof.

Lindsay looked at him, stunned at his ignorance. "Just what did you think you were…oh, wait. You weren't thinking! You insensitive jerk!" Lindsay turned around and walked away from him, trying to pace off her anger.

Flack looked at Lindsay. He realized that he had done something wrong, but was not sure what. "What did I do wrong?"

Lindsay turned back to him and saw the confusion in his eyes. "You really don't realize what you said, do you?" At Flack's nod she tried to elaborate for him. "You basically reminded her of what Ortiz had done to James and hinted that Danny would be killed. Come on Flack. She has really strong feelings for Danny and you put her right back into the hell that she had clawed herself out of."

Flack looked distraught as the realization of what he had said. "Ah, hell. Open mouth, insert foot, chew vigorously. How can I ever make this up to her?"

Lindsay signed in relief as Flack understood what he'd done. "Apologize. Once Danny gets her calmed down. That's the only thing that you can do." Lindsay walked over to him and put her arms around him.

Flack looked down into her chocolate eyes. "I know. I just…she's just like my sister."

Lindsay looked back into his eyes. "I know sweetie, I forgive you. You just have to get Cory to forgive you. Just explain to her the way that you feel and you'll do okay."

Flack smiled to her gratefully and bent his head down to kiss her softly.

(Cory's Room)

Danny watched Cory as she slept. He was content to hold her hand and give her some of the peace that she'd given him.

Cory stirred, unable to sleep long due to being unconscious. "_Mon cherie._ Thanks for staying here. God, I was such a fool. Both Mac and Flack are right. I wasn't thinking clearly. That may get me killed one of these days. I hate admitting when I'm wrong. But I was wrong and I apologize for putting myself in danger. I was just trying to save you."

Danny got a gleam in his eyes. "Trust me, Cory. I understand the feeling. I would sacrifice myself in a heartbeat to save you."

Cory was interrupted in her blushing by a knock on the door. She looked up and saw Taylor standing there. "Hey, Cory. How are you feeling?"

"I'll be okay. What brings you here?"

Taylor looked at Danny a little skeptically. "I had a couple of visitors that wanted me to give you a message."

Cory shivered as the temperature in the dropped. She looked at the spot next to Taylor where James and Michael appeared.

James looked at Taylor. "Thank you for saving her."

Taylor looked at both ghosts and realized that they were dressed in matching white suits. "You're welcome." She turned to Maddy who had just appeared. "I don't understand something. If both of them had already crossed over, why did Michael still have the bullet holes?"

Maddy laughed. "It was so you could tell them apart."

"Okay. That makes sense."

Meanwhile, Cory was just staring at the two ghosts. "James? Michael? I can't believe you're here."

Danny looked on in confusion since they ghosts were not visible to him.

Michael turned to Taylor and looked at her. "Will you give Cory a message for me?"

"Sure, but if she can see you why can't you give her the message?"

Maddy looked at Taylor. "It's not her place to be able to hear ghosts. She can only see them. You'll have to pass the messages."

Taylor looked at Cory who looked at little bereft. "Cory? Michael wants to give you a message. It's my job to translate for you."

Cory nodded her head.

Taylor looked at Michael. "He says to tell you that he's sorry he didn't trust you. He should have known that you would have found a way to protect him and Armando. He feels guilty about Armando death and subsequent judgment."

"What do you mean subsequent judgment?"

Maddy cut in at this point. "He did some things while in the gang that were not good. He is paying the price for those choices now."

Taylor relayed that to Cory and she closed her eyes in pain. "Damn."

Danny was watching the exchange in confusion. "Um, Cory? Taylor? I'm really confused. I'm not very sure I believe in ghosts but…"

Taylor looked at Danny in sympathy. "I understand, Danny. I'll explain it all later. Cory? Michael's not done. He wants you to sing '_Breathe'_ at his funeral."

Cory laughed even thought tears were running down her face. "I think I can manage that."

Corywatched as Michael disappeared. She looked at James. "James? I love you so much. When you were killed I was lost."

Danny felt his heart break in two at her softly spoken words. _"How can I compete with a dead man? I know she's the one, but…"_

Taylor looked at Cory, with sympathy in her eyes. "James said that he knows. That's why he refused to cross over until you were out of your depression. Every time that you felt like he was with you, he was. Hesays that he loves you so much, too. But he wants you to know that you don't have to feel guilty about your feelings for Danny. It's not wrong. You have the right to be happy. He's giving you and Danny his blessing. He said that you guys are good together and deserve happiness."

Cory looked like she had been hit in the head with a board. She looked at James in shock. "Are you sure? I don't want to betray you."

Taylor laughed. "He said that the only way you can betray him is if you close yourself off from emotion. He's ready to cross back over."

Cory bit her lip. "James. Thank you. I will always love you. Take care of yourself."

Taylor looked at Danny. "Danny? James has a message for you. He said that you're welcome for the gun. He knows that you will always protect Cory and he wanted to help you in your time of need."

It was Danny's turn to look shocked. He hadn't told anyone about what happened with the gun. He decided just to accept it. "Thanks."

Cory was watching as James mouthed the words, I love you, as he disappeared.

In a quiet voice, Cory just said, "Goodbye, my love."

Taylor looked and saw that Maddy was still there. "Maddy? Why are you still here."

Maddy looked at Taylor. "I also have a message for Cory."

When Cory looked back up she gasped as she saw another ghost. "Taylor? Who's that?" She pointed to Maddy.

"You can see Maddy? I don't understand. Maddy, what's going on?"

Maddy ignored Taylor. "Cory, I have a message for you from the Powers That Be."

Taylor went to translate but Cory stopped her. "I can hear her Taylor. What's the message?"

"The Powers That Be want you to know that there is a reason you can see spirits. You can't hear them now because you are not meant to. When the time is right all will be clear. Also, you are very special and that's why James and Michael were allowed to cross back over."

After delivering that bombshell, Maddy disappeared.

Cory got her voice first. "What the hell just happened?"

Taylor looked at her. "I have no clue, but I'll make sure I grill Maddy next time I see her. Maybe I can coax some information out of her. Listen. I'll just leave you two alone."

When Cory turned to Danny, he saw the love shining from them. _"Bella. Ti amo._ I'm so jealous right now. Of a dead man."

Cory smiled. "I feel like I'm in shell shock. You don't have to be. Danny. I will always love James but it's a different love than what I feel for you. I love him in a way I'll never love you and I love you in a way that I never loved him."

Danny felt relief course through his body. He leaned down and gently took her lips in his.

**A/N:**

_to the anoyomous reviewer (axellia, maybe?)- Flack ina helicopter? Did you mean Mac? If so I can totally see him all Marine in a helicopter! Glad you like the ghosts kicking some butt and yeah, 7 years was a long time to brush up on her fighting skills. I'm glad you like the exchange between Flack and Danny about her fighting._

_the little corinthian- I'm sorry your roommate thinks that you are crazy! I'm glad that you liked it. The fight scene was so much fun to write! Ever since I started writing the story I alway envisioned Cory defeating Ortiz in a fight. It's just in her nature. :)_

_chili-peppers- Glad you liked! Yup, Flack definately does not want to mess with her!_

_pnkrckprncss- You're welcome! There is no way that they were being critically injured. It's just not in the plan. Hope you liked this chapter!_


	33. Indescribable Feelings

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Okay. Here is the much needed fluff! Warning to The Little Corinthian! This chapter contains the mention and description of food! Ya might want to eat before reading this chapter, because I got hungry writing it! As always, please, please, please R&R! My muse loves the attention! Question? Are all my reviewers on vacation? I miss y'all! Please come back soon!_

Chapter 33.

**Indescribable Feelings**

When Cory awoke the next morning the doctor was standing beside her bed. "Good morning, Agent Reid. I trust you slept well?"

Cory smiled. "Yes. Thank you. Doctor, Am I going to be able to go home today?"

"All of your vitals are normal, so yes you can."

Cory whispered a prayer of relief. "Thank you so much! Is it okay that I go back to work?"

"Yes. You are fully cleared. You will be released at 10am."

Cory sighed in relief. She knew that Danny was also being released today and was looking forward to spending some time with him.

A couple of hours later, she was still thinking about Danny. She was startled by a knock on her door. When she looked up she saw Lindsay and Flack standing at the door. "Hey, y'all. Did you come to break me out?"

Lindsay started laughing. "Don't like the hospital?"

Cory grinned. "It's not that, but the food sucks!" Cory noticed that Lindsay was holding a bag. "Please tell me that bag includes a toothbrush? Please!"

Lindsay nodded. "Yup. I picked up everything that you need for leaving the hospital. Change of clothes and of course some driving music! It is a two hour drive back to the city."

"I am forever in your debt." Cory jumped out of bed and grabbed the bag. She went into the adjoining bathroom so that she could change.

While they were waiting for Cory to come out of the bathroom, Flack put his arms around Lindsay and hugged her to his chest. "Promise me something?"

Lindsay looked up at him. "What?"

Flack stared down at her. "Never go off half-cocked like Cory did. I couldn't bear to lose you and then I'd have to kill someone to get you back." Flack smiled at her. "Beside…" Flack trailed off as Cory came back into the room.

Lindsay looked at Cory and then back to Flack. "Besides what?"

Flack just shook his head. "Ask me later."

Flack turned to Cory while she walked out of the bathroom. "Um, Cory?"

Cory looked at Flack, noticing his serious tone. "What's wrong?"

Flack looked down at his feet. "I want to apologize for what I said yesterday. I was out of line."

Cory smiled. "Flack. It's okay. I understand."

"Seriously, I want to explain. You're like my sister and I was just scared at what happened."

Cory looked at him. "Don. It's okay. I got that. Once the shock of what you said wore off, I understood where you were coming from. There is nothing to apologize for."

Lindsay felt relief that they had made up and turned to Cory. "You ready to go?"

"Let's blow the popsicle stand!" Cory just smiled as she said that. Both Flack and Lindsay laughed.

The made a stop to pick up Danny and made their way out to Flack's SUV. They got in the vehicle. Flack and Lindsay sat up front and Cory and Danny were in the back.

"Linds? What did you bring to listen to?" Cory gasped as Lindsay held up the _Music for the Insane_ CD. "Hell, yeah! Whatcha waiting for? Put it in!"

Lindsay put the CD in the CD player while Danny looked at her with a questioning expression.

Cory smiled as the _Top Gun Anthem_ came on. "I love this song! Hell, I love the movie!" Cory started humming along with it. "I am so happy to be out of the hospital!"

Danny looked at her. "So am I. What are you going to do with your day off?"

"Wow, I had even thought about it! I don't know. Hey, guys?" She moved forward so she could talk to Flack and Lindsay. "Are y'all off today?"

"Yes."

"Y'all want to come over for a movie fest? I'll cook."

Flack pretended to think about it. "Um, free food? I'm there. What are you going to feed me?"

Lindsay laughed as she played punched Flack in the arm. "Don! That's rude. But he has a good point. What are you going to cook?"

"Do you want spicy food?" She turned to Danny. "All three of y'all can talk it out. I'll give you a choice. Lasagna or enchiladas."

Cory let out a little squeal of happiness as the next song came on. "_Flagpole Sitta!_ This is my favorite song to sing Karaoke.

_I had visions, I was in them_

_I was looking into the mirror_

_To see a little bit clearer_

_The rottenness and evil in me_

_Fingertips have memories_

_Mine can't forget the curves of your body_

_And when I feel a bit naughty_

_I run it up the flagpole and see who salutes_

_(but no one ever does)_

_I'm not sick but I'm not well_

_And I'm so hot cause I'm in hell_

_Been around the world and found_

_That only stupid people are breeding_

_The cretins cloning and feeding_

_And I don't even own a TV_

_Put me in the hospital for nerves_

_And then they had to commit me_

_You told them all I was crazy_

_They cut off my legs now I'm an amputee, god damn you_

_I'm not sick but I'm not well_

_And I'm so hot cause I'm in hell_

_I'm not sick but I'm not well_

_And it's a sin to live so well_

_I wanna publish zines_

_And rage against machines_

_I wanna pierce my tongue_

_It doesn't hurt, it feels fine_

_The trivial sublime_

_I'd like to turn off time_

_And kill my mind_

_You kill my mind_

_Paranoia, paranoia_

_Everybody's coming to get me_

_Just say you never met me_

_I'm runnin' underground with the moles_

_Digging holes_

_Hear the voices in my head_

_I swear to god it sounds like they're snoring_

_But if you're bored then you're boring_

_The agony and the irony, they're killing me, oh_

_I'm not sick but I'm not well_

_And I'm so hot cause I'm in hell_

_I'm not sick but I'm not well_

_And it's a sin to live this well"_

Cory was laughing as she finished singing the song. "That is such a fun song to sing to! And I totally agree with the second verse."

Danny looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Cory looked at him. "Only stupid people are breeding. I mean come on! Sometimes I talk to people and wonder when they were on _Jerry Springer_."

Danny laughed. "Okay. I agree with you. By the way, I want to try your enchiladas."

Cory nodded. "Okay. Flack, Linds, what about you?"

The two both voted for enchiladas, so the group decided to stop at the story on the way to Cory's apartment.

(Cory's apartment)

After stopping at the store, the two couples arrived back at Cory's apartment around 2 pm. Cory and Lindsay took the groceries into the kitchen.

"Hey guy! Since we picked out the movie last time, y'all can pick it out this time," Cory called over her shoulder.

Flack looked at Danny and they walked over to the shelves that held Cory's DVD collection. "Wow. Cory has a lot of DVD's. Danny, she has the organized by genre."

Danny looked at Flack. "Yeah. I know. She said it's because she is a very organized person and it's easier for her to choose what she wants. She does the same thing with her CD's."

Flack looked incredulous. "That's a little OCD."

Danny laughed. "A little, but did you see how many CD's she has? So what do you want to watch?"

Flack looked over the movies, carefully. "We could always watch horror movies! It gives the girls an excuse to cuddle with us." Flack was looking very smug while he began to read off some titles. "Look at this. _Psycho, The Amityville Horror, Poltergeist, Tremors, _all of the _Nightmare on Elm Street_ movies, _The Birds_. And all of those are jut under the category of horror classics!"

Danny laughed. "Man. As much as I want to hold her in my arms, I don't want to watch a horror movie right now. What about an action flick? Or we could surprise them and watch a chick flick. You know that's the best way to get laid."

Flack looked thoughtful. "You're right. Let's move to the romance section, 'cause if those are chick flicks, nothing is!" Both Flack and Danny looked over the movies. "Ya know, man. I haven't seen the majority of these movies. Have you?"

Danny looked up. "Nope. Let's just pick two and see which one the girls want to watch."

Flack agreed. Both him and Danny picked out a movie and put it on Cory's coffee table.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Cory and Lindsay were busy cooking. Lindsay looked a little lost. "I've never cooked enchiladas before. Is it hard?"

Cory smiled. "Not the way I make them. I make what's called stacked enchiladas. Basically it is a tortilla with enchilada sauce, cheese and onions on top of it. They are stacked like pancakes. Total prep and cooking time is less than 30 minutes. I'll make the sauce if you will grate the cheese and chop the onions."

Lindsay got Cory's food processor out and began to prepare the cheese and onions. When that was done, Cory got out a cutting board and took out the avocadoes and jalapeños that she had picked up at the store.

Lindsay watched in amazement as Cory diced the vegetables like a professional. Her eyes were watering a little at the heat from the jalapeños. When Cory was done the sauce was ready.

Cory walked into the living room to find the two men talking about baseball on the couch. They had turned on the Yankee game. "Guys? Hate to interrupt the sports talk, but do either of you want an egg with your enchiladas?"

Both men looked at her like she was crazy? Danny was the one who answered. "An egg? With enchiladas? We'll pass."

"Okay. You don't know what you are missing, though!" Cory walked back into the kitchen.

While Cory was frying up her egg, she directed Lindsay on how to prepare the enchiladas. When she was done, and the plates were in the oven letting the cheese melt, she called the men to the table.

"What do y'all want to drink? I have…water, juice, milk, sweet tea, Dr. Pepper and coffee."

Danny and Flack chose water, while Lindsay chose juice. Cory made the drinks and got herself a glass of sweet tea. While she was pouring the tea, Danny asked her what sweet tea was.

"Basically, it's iced tea that is sweet. I mean really sweet. It's good and it's a completely Southern drink. We have a fast food restaurant in Texas called _Chicken Express_. It sells its sweet tea by the gallon if you want buy it that way. It's so good!"

Danny looked at her. "I'll take your word for it."

When Cory had put the drinks down and everyone was sitting, she went to the oven and got their plates out. She put them in front of the hungry people with the caution that the plates were hot.

Flack and Danny looked at the plates in front of them. "I thought we were having enchiladas?"

"We are. These are called stacked enchiladas. Feel free to have any avocadoes or jalapeños with them."

Timidly, both Flack and Danny took bites. Flacks eyes opened wide. "Wow. These are good!" Cory smiled as Danny nodded and both men dug into the food in earnest.

Shortly all of them were done eating, Flack and Danny had seconds. Both groaned good-heartedly.

Cory laughed. "I told you to give it some time! These really do fill you up. Let me clean up and we can go watch some movies."

Lindsay shot Flack a look. He looked at her with his eyebrows raised. "What?"

"We cooked, you guys can clean. It's not a big mess."

Cory shook her head at Lindsay. "It's okay, Linds. I can clean. Besides, I have to put the extra sauce up."

Lindsay just grabbed Cory and dragged her into the living room. "You've been through a horrible ordeal and Flack and Danny can clean! That's final. Don't argue with me."

"Okay, okay, okay!" Cory turned back to the guys, who were already clearing the table. "There is a jar in the cabinet with the glasses. Just pour the sauce into it, put the lid on it and then put the sauce in the fridge. Other than that, if you need to know where anything is, just ask!"

Cory and Lindsay went to sit on the couch. Lindsay looked at Cory seriously. "So how are you holding up?"

Cory sighed. "Actually pretty well. I know I made a rash decision, but I still think that I did the right thing. Not to mention that I got to beat the crap out of Ortiz. That was very cathartic."

"So what's going on with you and Danny?"

"I'm not sure. I know he loves me and I love him, but…" Cory trailed off.

"But, what?" Lindsay asked.

"What happens when I go back to Dallas?" Cory shook herself a little. "Nevermind. I don't want to think about that tonight. I just want to be happy for the first time in six years. Let's see what movies the boy's picked out!" Cory leaned forward and grabbed the two movies off the table. "_Bed of Roses? Sleepless in Seattle?_ They picked chick flicks! I totally expected them to pick a horror movie."

Lindsay looked at the movies. "I expected them to pick anything but a chick flick. I've seen your movie collection. They had plenty of choice. Not that I won't enjoy watching either one of those movies, I don't want them to watch it unless they want to."

Cory got a twinkle in her eye. "It's what, 3pm? We can watch two or three movies before the nights over." Cory got up and walked to her movies. Scanning the titles she picked out two other movies. "I want to see _Sleepless in Seattle _out of the two. How 'bout we also watch these? It should help to alleviate the chick flickness."

Lindsay looked at the movies she held up. They were _Dogma_ and _From Russia with Love_. "Interesting choices. I think the guys will like them. And I agree. I just love Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan."

Flack and Danny walked out of the kitchen at that time. Danny looked at Cory, "So did you choose a movie?"

Cory smiled. "Actually we chose three. We have plenty of time." She held up the three movies. "As much as we appreciate the fact that y'all chose chick flicks, we also wanted to see something else. Does anyone have any objections?"

Flack and Danny just shook their heads, amazed that the women had thought of them. They both sat on the couch as Cory put in _Dogma_, and prepared to watch the movies.

**A/N:**

_the little corinthian- I hope you got some sleep! As you can tell, Cory was very forgiving with him...She really does understand why he said what he said...Thanks!_

_chili-peppers- Fav ever! I feel so special! What can I saw, sometimes when people you care about act stupid, your brain disengages and your mouth just says whatever!_

_pnkrckprncss- Crossing over is the whole thing when (depending on your religion) you are judged and sent to either heaven or hell. In James' and Michael's case they were sent to heaven...Because of Cory's special abilities they were allowed to cross back over the "barrier" from the spiritual world to the physical world to help her out! (If you really want me to get very deep, pm me and I'll explain in more detail)! Glad you liked it...I really had to have some closure in James and Cory's relationship so that she did not feel guilty, soI was able to use Taylor to let her know! (Thank you so much Axellia!) Maybe, if I do a sequel, it will go the whole supernatural bent and incorporate more of that!_

_note to John-the-Geek---New job? And you are just telling me this! Bad friend, Bad, Bad, Friend! On a lighter note, thanks for the review and I had to look online to see what kind of bullets the an AK-47 actually took. They do also fire the Rem so I used that since it was less powerful and Cory would not die! Keep reviewing when you get to this part!_


	34. Chick Flicks, Fallen Angels and Bond

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Okay. Here is more of the much needed fluff! Also, I do not own any part of: _Dogma, From Russia with Love or Sleepless in Seattle._ As always, please, please, please R&R! My muse loves the attention! _

**A/N#2:**_OK. So I've decided to do another author's contest. Whoever writes review #200, I will write into the story for at least 1 chapter (Axellia-you are exempt from this, since you won the first one!). Happy Reviewing!_

Chapter 34.

**Chick Flicks, Fallen Angels and Bond, James Bond**

After Cory put the movie into her DVD player she sat down on the couch next to Danny. He was sitting on the left side of the couch, so he could put his right arm around her. Lindsay was sitting next to her, with Flack next to her.

The movie started and Cory let herself be sucked into the comedy. "I love this movie. It's so blasphemous, but it's hilarious!" She put her head on Danny's shoulder, loving the feeling of security she got in his arms.

Lindsay was enjoying a similar feeling with Flack. She responded to Cory's comment. "I know. This movie always has me in stitches."

Neither of the guys cared. They just wanted to spend some time with their girlfriends. Both of them were paying rapt attention to the screen when Selma Hayek appeared.

Cory looked up at Danny and saw him staring at the screen. "See something you like?"

Danny looked down at her. "No. Not at all."

Cory rolled her eyes. "Please. Selma Hayek is hot! How can you not like her? Hell, if I was so inclined, I'd do her in a heartbeat." Cory watched as Danny's mouth fell open.

"What!" Both Flack and Lindsay turned to look at Cory when Danny yelled.

"Come on, Danny. Don't deny that if she walked up to you on the street and told you she wanted to have sex with you, you would not say no. Don't worry about it. It's completely understood."

"Um...Um...I can't think right now." Danny turned his attention back to the movie. _"I can't believe that she just said that. Gawd! Now I know what I'm dreaming about tonight!"_

The group fell silent as the movie continued.

When the movie was over, Cory reluctantly got off the couch and out of Danny's arms to change the DVD. "Y'all want anything to drink?"

The other three nodded and Cory went into the kitchen to get the drinks. She got water for everyone except her. She got another glass of sweet tea. Carefully balancing the four glasses she walked back into the living room. She set them down on the coffee table.

"Thanks, Cory. You're the best." Flack said.

Cory just smiled and said, "No problem. Y'all are my guests."

Danny smiled at Cory as she sat back down. He put his arm back around her. "What's next?"

Cory hit play on the DVD player. "_From Russia with Love_."

Danny nodded his head. "Nice. Can't go wrong with…" Danny paused for a second and then put on a fake British accent. "Bond. James Bond."

Cory almost choked trying not to laugh. Flack was not so successful. "What was that, Messer?"

Danny look offended. "It was the voice of Sean Connery."

Cory and Lindsay both were unable to keep from laughing. Cory tried to catch her breath. "I'm sorry, Danny, but…" She broke off laughing again.

"What? Ya saying that I can't do an impression of Sean Connery?"

"That's exactly what we're saying, Messer." Flack was trying his best to get his words out.

Danny finally gave in and he started laughing, too. "Awright. I admit it, it's a horrible impression. Can ya stop laughin' now?"

Cory took some deep breaths. "_Mon cherie._ I'm sorry. Just promise never to do that again."

"Can I tell Stella about this?" Lindsay asked.

"Montana, ya tell Stella 'bout this and I will stick you with dumpster diving on every case we work together!"

Lindsay held up her hands in defeat. "Fine. Fine. Your secret's safe with me."

Flack couldn't help but needle Danny some more. "Whatcha goin' do with me if I tell? Huh, Messer?"

Danny just rolled his eyes. "Can we watch the movie now? It's Sean Connery playing Bond. That's just the best combination ever!"

Cory hit play on the menu screen. When she settled back into Danny's arms, she said, "I agree. The only person that even comes close to him is Pierce Brosnan. And please do not get me started on Timothy Dalton." She shuddered in mock horror.

Danny looked down at her. He leaned his head and gave her a quick kiss. "I knew there was a reason that I like you. You have impeccable taste."

Flack and Lindsay just rolled their eyes at his comment. Lindsay snuggled into Flack, resting her head on his shoulder. He ran his hand lightly up and down her arm, softly caressing her. Lindsay looked up at him with a question in her eyes. She was still thinking about what they were going to talk about later. "Don?"

He was engrossed in the movie and it took a moment for her soft comment to register. "What?"

"What were you about to say to me in the hospital?"

Flack just smiled. "I tell you when we are alone." He bent down his head and kissed her, hoping to distract her. He was successful. When they broke apart a few moments later, Lindsay just snuggled further into his arms.

A couple of hours later, the movie was over. The girls got up to stretch and the guys looked at each other. "Ya hungry?" They both asked the question at the same time.

Lindsay laughed. "I know Flack is. I could hear his stomach rumbling through the last half of the movie."

Cory agreed. "Why don't we order pizza? Cause, I'm not cooking again today!"

They all agreed and Danny made the call. "Hey, Feebie! What do ya want on your pie?"

Cory thought for a moment. "Anything but olives or anchovies."

The group waited to put the movie in until the pizza got here. In the interlude, Flack asked Cory and Danny what it was like being kidnapped.

Seriously, Cory and Danny told them the story. When they were done, Flack and Lindsay's faces were lined with anger. Flack growled, "Cory, did you leave any part of Ortiz unharmed?"

She smiled. "Nope. It was cathartic for me to kick his ass. I'm glad that things played out that way. Hopefully he understands that he can't control me anymore."

Just then both the doorbell and Cory's cell phone rang. Danny got up to go get the pizza and Cory grabbed her cell. "Reid."

"_Agent Reid. Are you feeling any better?"_

"Hi, Agent Michaels. I'm doing okay. I'll be back to work tomorrow."

"_Good. We are going to go process Ortiz's apartment tomorrow. I thought you'd like to be present."_

"Definitely, sir. I'm looking forward to that. I'm also looking forward to interrogating Ortiz."

"_You will definitely get your shot at that. He's refusing to speak to anyone but you."_

"Arrogant bastard. I'll gladly take him down a couple of pegs."

Agent Michaels laughed. _"See you tomorrow at 9 am. Good night."_

"Thanks. See you tomorrow." Cory flipped her phone shut and smiled.

Danny looked at her. "Why are you grinning like the Cheshire cat?"

Cory just shook her head in disbelief. "Ortiz is one stupid SOB. He's refusing to talk to anyone but me. So I get to interrogate him." Cory got the look of a hunter back into her eyes. "I can't wait. I'm so going to break him!"

Danny, Flack and Lindsay just grinned along with her. They quickly ate their pizza and Cory put _Sleepless in Seattle_ into the DVD player. "I love this movie. It's just so romantic that they meet at the top of the Empire State Building."

Lindsay nodded in agreement. "I know. And they took that from _An Affair to Remember_. That was such a good movie. Cary Grant and Deborah Carr agree to meet there, but she gets hit by a cab and doesn't show up. He's too proud to find out why…" Lindsay trailed off, tearing up at the thought of the movie.

Cory nodded as she felt herself tear up. "I know. It's just so romantic!"

Both Flack and Danny looked at them. Flack shook his head. "Must be a woman thing. I know that if some woman did that to me…I'd never see her again!"

Lindsay gasped and lightly slapped him on the arm. "You mean that if you and I had plans and I didn't show up, you wouldn't want to know why?"

Danny laughed. "Damn, Flack. Sucks to be you right now."

"Darling, that's different. I would know that something was wrong with you and of course I would try to find out what happened." Flack desperately tried to backpedal.

Lindsay looked a little mollified. "Okay. Let's watch the movie."

Both women teared up at the point were Annie's mom was telling about how she had met Annie's father. "That is so romantic. I wish….I just want that one perfect romantic moment." Cory nodded in her agreement.

When they got to the part of the movie where Jonah called the radio program, both women were thoroughly engrossed. "This is so sad," said Cory.

The story progressed and when Annie saw Sam with the other woman, both women sniffed. Danny looked down at Cory, amazed how moved she was. He gently took her chin in his fingers and lifted her face up. He bent his head and gently took her lips in his own. The kiss was unlike any other. It was soft and probing and Cory felt her bones weaken at the strength of emotion that surged through her.

Beside them on the couch, Flack was also coaxing Lindsay to kiss him. "Don? Danny and Cory?"

Flack lifted his head and smiled. He nodded to the pair with his head. "I don't think that they will notice."

Lindsay looked over her shoulder and smiled. She turned back to Flack and lost herself in his kiss.

The two couples broke apart when Annie was running to the Empire State Building. Both women sighed when Sam and Annie found each other.

When the credits started rolling, both were a little teary-eyed. "That was so great."

Flack looked at the clock. "It's almost 9 pm. I'd better go. Linds, can I take you home?"

Lindsay nodded yes and the two left.

Cory looked at Danny. "Hey. How are you doing? We haven't really had a chance to talk about what happened. God, Danny. I was so scared when Mac called me. I…I…" Cory started shaking.

Gently, Danny took her in his arms. "It's okay. I'm alright."

Cory nodded her head into his chest. "I know. It's just…Danny. I almost lost you."

Danny tightened his hold on her. "But you didn't. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. Why don't I put you to bed?"

"Okay."

Cory walked back to her room and got her pajamas out of the dresser. She went to the bathroom and got changed. She smiled when she saw that Danny had turned down the sheets. She climbed into bed and felt protected when Danny tucked her in.

Danny got ready to leave but the sound of Cory's voice stopped him. "Danny? Will you sit with me until I fall asleep?"

Danny turned back to the bed. "Sure, _bella._" Danny walked over to the bed and climbed in next to her. She sighed contently as he pulled her into his arms.

(Flack's Apartment)

Flack and Lindsay got back to Flack's apartment about an hour of leaving Cory's. They had walked a little of the way and then took a cab for the rest.

Lindsay looked at Flack, who was acting nervous. "Are you okay?"

Flack looked up. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just…These last couple of days has made me realize that with our job, every moment is precious." Flack pulled Lindsay to him. "Linds? I love you. I needed to tell you. The thought that something could happen to me without you knowing that I love you? It scared me."

Lindsay felt tears welling in her eyes. "I love you, too Don. Is that a problem?"

Flack breathed a sigh of relief. "No. It's perfect." Flack grabbed her hand and walked with her back to his bedroom.

**A/N:**

_screaming-poetically- Glad to see you're back! I was wondering if everything was OK. I love enchilada's too, especially stacked enchiladas. The only restaurant I know that serves them around here is Joe T Garcia's (which btw, is the absolutely most fab restaurant!). I'm addicted to sweet tea, too. I think it's still a little early for marriage between Flack and Linds, but you never know! Feel free to spam me!_

_the little corinthian- sorry that your grandmother gave you bad enchiladas..I'm biased since I live in Texas and the Tex-Mex around here...Yum! (as long as it's not Taco Bell, which I only eat before I go out drinking...I prefer Taco Bueno). I understand about wanting to watch the movie, I watched it as I wrote the chapter. As for what will happen when Cory goes back to Texas, I don't know. I haven't written that far yet._

_chili-peppers- I'm glad I made your day:D Writing like me would be okay, but really everyone has to write for themselves, but I've been doing this for a while. I must thing, when I look back at some of the stories I wrote when I was in high-school, I cringe. The ideas are good, but the actual execution of said stories was awful! It just takes practice._

_tylerhiltongroupie53- Her life is in Dallas right now and she's so independent that she will not move just for a man...With that said, it's gonna suck when she does go back! How was this inclusion of fm radio? There is so more in the next chapter, too. Thank you, and I will try to keep up the good work!_

_axellia- I kinda figured it was you for a couple of reasons. 1. Thewhole mwahahaha. 2. It came in about the same time your chapter update did! I just had to have Flack being sarcastic, since Danny wasn't in the room at that time. Plus it was the first thing that came to my mind! I can honestly say that I have no idea what TPTB have planned for her...It was just right to write that part and I have no clue where that is going...Maybe if I do a sequel, it will explore that...Are you, Volente and I having a party in the gutter? That is creepy that you are listening to the Top Gun Anthem...I was definately a Maverick girl when I first saw the movie, but I have since become an Ice girl. As for Cory's movie collection...I want it, too! I was writing all the movies that I wish I had! (The Birds is like my fav horror movie ever. I still get freaked out at the sight of big flocks of birds!) Only one thing will will cure America-sickness...Coming back for a visit:D I've considered her taking his job, but my muse and I are arguing about that right now. I just love Kevin Smith movies!_

_pnrckprncss- I figured that she needed the closure with James, which is why I wrote it...They are back on track for now, but I have a feeling that things may fall apart soon (but I've only written up to 36, so I don't know for sure yet!). It's up to my muse and she's been in a mood, recently._


	35. Discoveries

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Okay, Okay...Back to the drama! I hope everyone liked the fluff--there's some good fm radio fluff in here as well! As always, please, please, please R&R! My muse loves the attention! And my muse has been kinda moody lately, so any extra reviews are welcome!_

Chapter 35.

**Discoveries**

Flack woke up early the next morning, content with Lindsay asleep in his arms. _"I can't live without her. I want to spend my life with her. She's the one. I can do this. I know that she will not say no."_

Flack grinned as he pulled Lindsay closer to him, content just to keep her in his arms. Eventually, Lindsay began to wake up. She smiled as she felt his arms around her. "Good morning, Linds."

"Good morning, Don. We'd better get up or we'll be late for work."

Flack mock pouted. "But I don't wanna get up!"

Lindsay laughed. "Come on. I like the fact that we both have jobs."

Flack put his hand on her arm as she went to get out of the bed. "Linds?"

Lindsay looked at the serious expression in his eyes. "Yeah?"

Flack took a breath. He was trying to gather his courage. "Do you want to move in with me?"

Lindsay felt her eyes grow wide at the question while her heart jumped in happiness. "Yes. I'd love too. Oh, Don!" Lindsay threw herself into his arms and surrendered to his kiss.

(Cory's Apartment)

Cory had woken up about 5 am. She lay in Danny's arms, thinking. _"What am I doing? I know that Danny loves me and I love him, but if I don't back off things are going to get messy when I have to go back to Dallas. Damn! Why do I get to find a great guy only to have to lose him?"_ Cory felt tears well up in her eyes. Carefully she extracted herself from Danny's arms and went to take a shower.

She thought long and hard while in the shower and came to no conclusion on what to do. _"I feel so torn. I'll just take one day at a time."_

After getting out of the shower, she quickly got dressed for work. Danny was still asleep on her bed. She smiled as she watched him sleep, completely at peace. Quickly she wrote a short note to him. She placed it on the pillow beside him and turned to go to work.

(FBI Headquarters)

Cory walked into headquarters in a somber mood. She was wearing a black suit with low heels. She made her way to her office, a little restless. She was working on the report of her kidnapping when Agent Michaels knocked on her door.

Cory smiled a little when she saw him. "Good morning, Agent Michaels. When do we get to raid Ortiz's apartment?"

"That's why I'm here. We are getting ready to leave. Are you ready?"

"Let me grab my gun."

Cory and Agent Michaels walked out of her office.

(Ortiz's Apartment, Spanish Harlem)

Cory stayed in the background as FBI agents secured the area. Once they called the all clear, she snapped on a pair of latex gloves, a habit she had picked up from Danny. She went straight to the bedroom.

At first glance, the bedroom seemed normal, but she was not one to take things at face value. She decided to start by going through the dresser.

Ten minutes later, all of the drawers were empty and she had not found anything. Cory had a feeling that she had missed something. She went back to the drawers. She took the drawers out of the chest and had some luck with the bottom drawer.

As she pulled it out, she noticed that it was a lot deeper than it appeared to be. "Agent Michaels! I think I may have found something."

Agent Michaels walked in behind her. "What is it?"

He watch was Cory extracted the drawer with some force. "I think this has a false bottom." She knocked on the bottom of the drawer, trying to find out how to open it. Finally she found a small catch in one of the corners. She pressed the button down and the wood lifted up a small bit.

"Jackpot!" Cory was gleeful as she lifted the wood out of the drawer. The drawer was full of pictures. Carefully she began to withdraw the pictures from the drawer.

She looked at each picture as she withdrew it and was upset to see how many of the pictures were of her. "I guess he really was stalking me. Most of these pictures are from here in New York but I do see a couple from Dallas. Damn, I never even knew I was being followed. Twisted SOB." Finally she just stopped looking at the photos; she just put them into evidence bags.

When she was done with the drawer, she began to look in the closet and under the bed. Both places she found more photographs. She put all of them into evidence bags. She signed in frustration. "This is unbelievable. I feel so violated."

Agent Michaels looked at Cory. "Let me work on this for a bit. Go take a break."

Cory didn't even argue. She felt sick at her stomach. "Thanks." She walked out of the apartment and stood beside the door. She felt her cell phone vibrate in her pocket. When she looked at the caller ID she saw that it was Danny. "_Bonjour, mon cherie._ Did you sleep well?"

"_Good morning to you to, _bella._ I did sleep very well, but you were gone when I woke up."_

"I know. I'm sorry, but I had to get to work. I'm helping to gather evidence right now. It's been an enlightening day."

"_What do you mean?"_

"Nothing I can discuss right now. Listen. I should get back to work. Are you staying at my apartment until I get home?"

"_I'm gonna go home and get some clothes, but I'll be back. See you tonight, _bella."

"See you later, Danny."

Cory hung up the phone with a smile on her face. As she put the phone back into her pocket, she walked back into the apartment.

As she walked back in she heard Agent Michaels call out her name. She walked back into the bedroom. "What's going on?"

"I found something quite interesting. These are all pictures of Ortiz committing murder. I also found some pictures that included Travis in them. Looks like he was an active participant in the gangs' activities."

Cory looked over his shoulders at the pictures of Travis. "I knew there was more to his story than him trying to protect his family." Cory got a determined look in her eyes. "I can't wait to talk to him again. But that's going to have to wait until I talk to Ortiz."

Agent Michaels nodded. "Agent Reid? We have enough evidence with these pictures to convict Ortiz for killing Agent Hogan."

Cory looked confused. "Do you mean that there were pictures of Ortiz killing James?" Cory's voice was low, almost deadly.

Agent Michael looked at her. "Yes. Agent. Cory. Don't do anything stupid. I know you want make him pay, but do it by the book."

Cory drew a shuddering breath. She knew he was right, but the white-hot rage she felt was almost uncontrollable. "Okay. I'll go by the book, but you'd better have someone in the room with me so I don't try to kill him." Cory stalked out of the room.

Several hours later, the forensics team was done processing. Cory just felt sick at her stomach. In addition to the pictures, they had found videos detailing all of the killings, including James, Michael and Armando's. Cory had been unable to watch any of the videos.

When she got back to FBI headquarters she walked to the bathroom and threw up. After she was done, she was standing at the sink, splashing cold water on her face when Lydia walked in. "Hey, Cory. Are you okay?"

Cory looked at Lydia in the mirror. "I'll be fine. I'm just a little disgusted right now. Ortiz is one sick bastard. And he only wants to talk to me. Me! I don't know if I can handle it right now. I might snap. That scares me, Lydia. I've never wanted to kill someone so much."

Lydia nodded in the mirror. "I know. You're strong, Cory. I have no doubt that you can keep your temper. Hell, you didn't kill him when you had the chance! That says something. You don't want to be the one who kills him. Hang on to that. You'll be okay."

Cory smiled. "Thanks. I needed to hear that. With everything that has happened in the last couple of weeks, I'd begun to doubt my detachment. Thanks for the pep talk. I need to go see what the forensics team has gotten from the evidence."

Lydia said good-bye as Cory walked out of the bathroom.

(FBI forensics lab)

Cory walked in to the forensics lab feeling a little bit of déjà vu. The lab was very similar to the NYPD crime lab. She shook her head, trying to clear it. She walked up to one of the techs to see what kind of evidence that they had bagged.

"Hi, Jim. How's it going?"

"Agent Reid. The team from the apartment brought in a lot of evidence. I sent all of the biologicals over to be tested for DNA. I've got all of the photographs in here. There are a lot of photographs."

Cory looked on. "How many total?"

Jim looked at her. "I've logged 767 so far and I've still got three boxes to go. Right now, I'm just trying to scan them into the system and log them into the evidence log. It's going to take a couple of more hours before I gotten that done. Once I get that done, I can start to sort them into some kind of order." Jim paused. "Um, Cory? I don't know how to say this, but of all the pictures I've looked at, three-fourths of them are of you."

Cory nodded. "I know. Thanks for the info. Call me if you get anything new." Cory walked out of the room. She paused outside for a second. _"Screw this. I'm going home. They'll call me if they need anything."_ With that decision, she walked back to her office, grabbed her purse and began the journey home.

(Cory's apartment)

After Cory got home, she took a shower, changed into a pair of shorts and a short-sleeved shirt. She decided to go sit on her fire escape to think. This was where Danny found her two hours later.

Cory jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Quickly she turned her head. "Danny?"

"Cory? You okay? I've been calling your name for two minutes." Danny looked concerned.

"Sorry. I was lost in thought. Why are you here?"

"I was supposed to come over tonight…Are you sure you're okay?" Danny looked into her eyes and all he saw was desolation.

Cory just closed her eyes. "It's been a difficult day. We found pictures and videos of Ortiz killing James." Cory opened her eyes and they were awash with tears. "I don't get it Danny. Why me? Why James? Now….now I feel so much hate, rage and pain. I'm scared."

Danny wrapped his good arm around her. "Cory. He can't hurt you anymore. If he doesn't know that after you beat him up, then he's just stupid."

Cory shook her head. "It's not that, Danny. I'm scare of what I'm feeling. I should have killed him. I had the chance to rid this world of a mad dog and I didn't take it. I choked."

Danny looked at her, understanding a little of what she was feeling. "Cory, you didn't kill him because you are not a killer. You did the right thing."

Cory smiled sadly. "Why does the right thing feel so wrong? Am I being selfish? I really don't want to talk to him, but….I'm the only one he'll talk to." Cory rolled her eyes. "Why me?"

Danny rocked her back in forth trying to comfort her. "He's just playing mind games. He thinks that if you are the one to interrogate him, somehow he'll get you to break and get out on a technicality."

Cory looked at Danny in shock. "How do you know that?"

Danny redirected the question. "Did I ever tell you about Sonny Sassone?"

Cory looked up, confusion in her eyes. "What?"

"Sonny Sassone was the one to beat up Louie. He's the one that put him into a coma. I wanted to kill him, much the same way that you want to kill Ortiz. Mac stopped me. Now he's in prison for murdering a boy back when we were kids. Trust me, Cory. You did the right thing. If you had killed him, he would have won. You would have been eternally changed from the person who are now."

Cory looked at Danny and tried to process what he had told her. Slowly she leaned into him and just let his arms chase away the pain.

**A/N:**

_the little corinthian- Glad you liked! I actually updated it while RSRD was on (during commericial breaks of course). I hope you found something to tape it on! I can't wait for it to come out on DVD...All Danny, all the time:)_

_tylerhiltongroupie53- You're welcome. I'm still very much a DL fan, but I love writing fm radio! There are definately happy times ahead for fm radio! And Darn Cory for being so independent! All I can tell you is that the water will be really choppy for a while for them, but things will work out somehow!_

_pnkrckprncss- Things may fall apart, but they will not stay apart! I swear, even if I have to fight my muse to the death, I will prevail:D Thanks!_

_axellia- I'm glad you finally got a chance to read it! I must say, I'm still waiting on an update from you (hint, hint...I know, It's only been a day, but well...) Why were you in a mental coma? Yup...Sean Connery, best Bond ever...I'm not sure about the new guy (first of all, he's blonde...but I will reserve judgement until I do see Casino Royale) Cory will definately have a couple of different shots at Ortiz (although, sadly, none of them involve physical violence). I know that The Birds is my fav horror movie of all time (it's tied with Texas Chainsaw) and even the thought of a flock of birds flying anywhere next to me gives me the chills!_

_chili-peppers- I'm glad you liked the fluff...It's going to be in short supply for a couple of chapters (at least the CoryDanny fluff)...Merci!_

_note to aphina (when you get to this chapter)-Welcome! I love new reviewers!_


	36. Why did you do it?

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Okay. More drama here...Sorry, that's the way the story is going! As always, please, please, please R&R! My muse loves the attention! Also, I am putting together a Cory and Danny song mix...you're suggestions are very welcome! Just put your suggestions your review or you can PM me! Also, remember that the contest is still going on. Whoever writes review number 200 (excluding Axellia), I will add to the story for at least 1 chapter!_

Chapter 36.

**Why did you do it?**

Cory got up the next morning, feeling better after her talk with Danny the previous night. She and Danny had stayed up until the early hours of the morning talking. She finally convinced him to go home about 2 am. She knew that there was still a trying day ahead for her, but her talk with Danny had helped her to understand how to control her feelings.

She got ready for work and went to her office. When she got there, she checked her messages. One was from Lydia. She wanted to check to make sure that Cory was okay. The next one was from Agent Michaels. He was calling to confirm the time for Cory's interrogation with Travis and Ortiz. Ortiz's interrogation was scheduled for 10 am and Travis' for 3 pm.

Grabbing a drink, Cory decided to prepare for both interrogations.

(10 am)

Cory stood outside the interrogation room, trying to calm her nerves. She had envisioned every single scenario that she could think of for what Ortiz could say to her. She watched him through the two-way glass as he sat there, alone. She felt someone walk up behind her and was surprised to see Flack and Danny standing there.

"What are y'all doing here?"

Flack looked at her. "We're here to see if you can get any info about the murder of the human slave suspects. Plus…" Flack broke off looking at Danny.

Danny looked at him. "Plus, we want to support you and make sure that you do not do anything stupid, like trying to kill him."

Cory smiled. "Don't worry about that. My anger has cooled considerably." Danny and Flack looked confused. "What? I've learned that the cooler my anger gets, the more control I have. The more control I have, the more I can use that to break him."

Flack and Danny just looked at each other and shrugged, not even trying to understand the female psyche. They turned as Agent Michaels walked up.

Agent Michaels looked at Cory. "Are you ready to do this?"

Cory nodded. "Bring him on."

They both walked into the room. Cory dropped a couple of file folders on the table. They were full of pictures. Jim had worked a double shift, organizing all the pictures. The folders held pictures from the murders of James, Armando and Michael.

"So, Ortiz. You only want to talk to me. Fine. Let's talk." Cory put a tape recorder down on the table and turned it on. "Do you wish to have an attorney present during questioning?"

Ortiz looked at Cory. "Oh, _chica._ What a way to start a conversation. How are you doing, _mi amor?_"

Cory just looked at him, keeping a tight rein on her anger. "Just answer the question. Do you or do you not want an attorney present during questioning?"

"_Chica…"_

Cory felt the ice build in her eyes. "Don't, _chica_, me. Answer the question. If you don't, I'm outta here."

Ortiz realized that she wasn't going to budge. "Fine. I don't need an attorney. But I'm not talking to you with him in the room." Ortiz nodded his head towards Agent Michaels.

Cory looked over her shoulder at Agent Michaels. "It's alright. You can go."

Agent Michaels looked at her, with concern in his eyes. "You sure?"

Cory shook her head. "Yeah. I'll be fine."

With her assurance, Agent Michael left the room to join Flack and Danny behind the glass.

Cory turned her attention back to Ortiz. "So do you want to confess?"

Ortiz looked her up and down. "You don't look like a priest."

Cory matched his sarcasm. "Funny. So, why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"_Damn it. Channel the anger. Don't let him see that he affects you."_ Cory almost ground her teeth in frustration. "You sit there accused of the murder of three people, one of them an FBI agent and attempted murder of two others. Are you trying to deny it or admit to it?"

"Admit to what?"

Cory took a breath. "Did you or did you not kill James Hogan, Michael Hogan and Armando De la Cruz?"

"No comment."

"Really. Fine. Let me comment for you." Cory withdrew the pictures of the dead bodies of the three men. "Let's start with Michael and Armando. Now I have a pretty good idea of why they were killed. Interrupt me if I'm wrong. Armando joins the gang two years ago. He works his way up through the ranks, proving himself a loyal member of the gang. Eventually, you notice him. You make him your right hand man. How am I doing so far?"

Ortiz just glared at her. "Anyway, so one day you get suspicious of him. He's around the computers too much. He leaves and is out of reach for a couple of hours each week. You have him followed. Where you find out that he is giving the information to an unknown person, information so important that it can and will be used against you to convict you of unspeakable crimes. And he's just giving it away to the enemy."

Cory smiled as she saw Ortiz getting angry. "So you follow him to a meeting. He hands the information over to a man that looks exactly like the man you had killed years before. You lose it. You and other members of your gang decide to kill him and the man who he gave the information to."

Ortiz looked at her. "That's an interesting bedtime story. But it's not true."

Cory smiled. "Really. Then this video tape that I found in your apartment showing the murder is just a work of fiction, huh? Just afilm that you are trying to win an Oscar with?"

Ortiz realized that he was in trouble. "You little bitch." The words were spoken softly, menacingly.

Cory raised her eyebrows. "Would you like to repeat that for the record?"

In the observation room, Flack stood in shock. "How is she staying so calm?"

Danny looked at him. "We had a long talk last night. She understands that Ortiz is going to try to break her, force her to commit an error and get off on a technicality. I convinced her that it would be better for her to stay calm."

Agent Michaels nodded at Danny's comment. "You're right. He thinks that he can rattle her enough to get out of the rather messy situation he is in. You know that we found videos of all three of those murders. Each video shows Ortiz killing each man. He's toast. No jury in the world is going to let him walk. This is just the difference between life in prison and the death penalty."

Flack nodded in agreement, turning his attention back to the interrogation.

Cory was still reining in her anger. "So, I'm a bitch. Is that what pisses you off the most? Or is the fact that I'm not your bitch. Why me? Why are you so intent on killing anyone close to me?

Ortiz snarled in his rage. "Your mine. You made yourself mine when we made love. I was your first. You belong to me."

"Huh. I've never heard that before. This is not the dark ages, Carlos. Men don't own women anymore. Oh, and by the way. We didn't make love. We had sex. Big difference. So is that why you had to kill James. Because I was in love with him. Or was because I had sex with him."

Ortiz snapped at her calm accusation and jumped up. "You are the whore of Babylon. You don't deserve anyone to ever touch you. He was just an infidel who didn't deserve to live."

Cory clenched her fists, trying to keep from punching him. "Again, you don't own me. You have no right to decide who touches me."

Ortiz sat back down. "I have nothing more to say to you."

Cory gathered the pictures and put them back in the folders. "Fine." She got up and prepared to leave. "One more thing, Carlos. I have enough evidence to convict you for James' murder. You will be put on trial in Texas. Do you know what we do with people on death row in Texas?"

Ortiz just looked at her.

"We get them off of death row by executing them. I do have an offer for you."

Ortiz looked at her in suspicion. "What? You're not going to pursue death?"

Cory smirked. "Oh, no. We will pursue the death penalty. Here's the offer. How long do you want to wait to die? You see…I'm very good friends with the Hogan's. They are very well connected in the Texas government. If I'm so inclined, I might be able to convince them to give you more time to think about your transgressions. If you give me the name of your suppliers, I'll see what I can do." Cory turned and started to walk out of the room after dropping that bombshell.

"He begged for his life."

The sound of Ortiz's voice stopped Cory in her tracks. Danny watched as all the color drained out of Cory's face. She turned to Ortiz, her voice deadly. "What?"

"James. He begged for his life. All he could talk about was how he wanted to live to protect you from me."

Cory walked back to the table and sat down, in shock. "Why are you telling me this?"

"You wanted me to talk about it, why not. If you truly have the video, then it doesn't matter. Do you want to know how we got into his apartment? How easy it was to subdue him. How much pleasure I got from slowly torturing him?"

"You bastard. You're just playing games with me. I'm through."

"_I've got her where I want her."_ Ortiz smiled as he saw that she was rattled. "I don't think so. You want to know. Inside, there's a little voice in your head that just wants to know what happened. You want to know why? There was no reason."

Cory sat there. Her mind was completely blank.

"He was a fighter. He fought death until it won. Of everyone I've seen die, his death took the longest. But he wouldn't stop talking! _Dios!_ All he could talk about was you and how hurt you would be. I'm glad I stopped him from marrying you. I saved you from the biggest mistake of your life."

Something snapped inside of Cory at that comment. "You son of a bitch!" she snarled as she stood up. She slapped her hands on the table as she leaned over it. "The biggest mistake of my life was sleeping with you, you arrogant ass. I'm going to really enjoy watching you die." Cory spun around and stormed out of the room.

She ignored everyone outside of the room as she walked quickly to the elevator. Danny turned and followed her.

Agent Michaels looked at Flack. "I think I'll reschedule Agent Miller's interrogation for tomorrow." Flack nodded in agreement.

(Roof)

When Danny finally caught up with Cory she was standing by the railing looking out at the city.

"_Bella?_ Are you okay?"

Cory didn't move. Her voice was quiet as she responded. "Do you know how tired I am of people asking me that? For the last seven years, when something happens with Ortiz that's the first thing people ask. Why the hell would I not be okay? Huh? I'm not breakable, I can put up with anything that he can dish out."

Danny looked at her back confused. "It was just a question. You don't have to bite my head off."

Cory turned, the rage simmering in her eyes. "Look, Messer. I don't want to deal with this right now. I just want to be alone." Cory drew a pack of cigarettes out her pocket.

Danny watched in shock as she lit a cigarette and took a long drag. "What the hell do you think your doing?"

Cory almost sneered. "Smoking. You got a problem with that?"

Danny felt himself becoming angry. "Yeah. Why are you doing this?"

"Because I want to. It makes me feel better."

Danny just shook his head. "Ah, hell no." He grabbed the cigarettes from her hand. "You will not smoke."

Cory stepped back a second. "Excuse me?"

"No, I won't excuse you. You're being stupid. I will not let you smoke. Ain't gonna happen."

Cory felt her face go hot and cold and her rage broke free. "You're not going to let me smoke? Not like you can stop me. You don't own me, Messer. You have no say on what I can and will do." Cory was shouting now. "I am not a child, not a pet, not a slave. I answer to no one but myself. You got that! If you can't deal with a woman with a mind of her own, there's the door. Just leave!"

Danny was furious now. "Fine! If I walk out that door, I'm gone for good. It's over once that door closes."

"Fine. Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out!"

"Whatever." Danny threw the pack of cigarettes at her and stalked off the roof as Cory watched him leave.

Danny walked down to the floor where Flack was on. He was cursing in Italian as he walked up to Flack and Agent Michaels. "Let's go, Flack. We're outta here."

Flack looked at Danny in confusion. "What?"

"I'm leaving. You coming or not?"

Flack followed Danny out of the building. He chose not to speak as they got into the car. "You wanna tell me what happened?"

"Nope. Drop me off at Ray's."

Flack looked at Danny with concern. "What the hell happened with you and Cory?"

"I told you, man. I don't want to talk about it. Discussion closed."

Flack just shook his head and let Danny out of the car. "Fine. Just make sure you can make you're way home."

Danny walked into Ray's and up to the bar. He looked at the bartender. "Give me a shot of tequila." The bartender put the shot down and Danny started to get seriously drunk.

Flack continued on his way back to the station, but decided to stop at the crime lab instead. When he got there, he hunted for Stella and found her in the break room, drinking some coffee.

"Stella! Just the person I was looking for. I need your help."

Stella looked at Flack, a little nervous. "What can I do to help you?"

Flack sat down next to her. "I think Danny and Cory had a fight. He's at Ray's right now, getting drunk."

Stella looked at him. "What was the fight about?"

Flack shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea. The interrogation with Ortiz ended badly. Cory walked out of the room and ignored everyone. Danny followed her. When he came back about 15 minutes later, he was muttering under his breath in Italian and insisted that we leave. I tried to get him to talk, but he did not want to. Then he insisted on me dropping him off at Ray's. Can you go and talk to him?"

Stella nodded. "Sure. I can't leave for a couple of hours though. I still have some evidence that I am working on processing for a new case. I'm sure that he will still be there."

Flack sighed. He felt better knowing that Stella would look after Danny.

(FBI Headquarters)

When Cory finally came down from the roof, she had calmed down a little. She was still upset with Danny, but she did not want to kill him anymore. She found Agent Michaels waiting for her in her office.

"I took the liberty of moving Travis's interrogation to tomorrow. I figured that it would not be best for it to be today."

Cory nodded. "I understand. With the way I feel right now, I would probably try to physically harm him. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm also going to tell you to go home. It's been a rough day and I think you need to unwind."

Cory bristled a little at the suggestion. "I'm fine, really. I can still help process the evidence."

Agent Michaels nodded his head. "No. That was not a suggestion, it was an order. Go home. Try to do something that will keep you from thinking about Ortiz. I don't care what, although I do ask that if you go drinking, don't come in with a hangover."

Cory smiled a little at that. "I don't get hangovers. But I will leave. Lydia called me earlier and asked if I was doing okay. She wanted to take me out tonight. I'll call her and see if we can go to the movies."

Cory called Lydia and they both decided to go see a comedy. She grabbed her purse and walked out of her office.

**A/N:** _(ducks out of the way at various objects and insults being hurled at me) Please don't kill me, okay? The fight had to come...I mean they've been on an emotional rollarcoaster for a couple of days now and the effects are just starting to be felt! I am curious to see what everyone thought about the fight!_

_the little corinthian- Okay, I'm jealous that you have a DVD recorder! I've got about 11 episodes on VHS tapes, that I am loaning to my bf since she doesn't get CBS very well...He is very attractive when he cries! Glad you liked!_

_chili-peppers- DL is my favorite, too. I just can't seem to write them right now. I like the fact that they were bonding before this chapter! But what can I sayw, life and emotions intruded on the perfect moment. I hope I'm not making you wait too long!_

_pnkrckprncss- You're Spidey sense must be working overtime if you saw this coming! Am I getting that predictable? True, what falls apart hopefully will come back to life with lots and lots of fluff! I definately will continue to write. I'm probably going to write another oneshot about when Flack met Lindsay. Then I'm going to try to write some DL fic's. The offer for a good idea for a sequel to this story still stands!_

_axellia- don't worry about it! I know how hard you've been working (both actual and on you're story), so I completely understand. Yes you can hug Flack! He is a sweetie! Cory received your cyber-hug and thanks you for it! And yeah, the photos? Definately one of the creepiest parts of the story. What can I say? I like my villians smart and insane! That makes them fun to write(:D)_

_note to stargazr, bluenose, kasmith101---haven't seen y'all in a while and I miss all y'alls reviews!_

_note to screaming-poetically-- i finally thought of the perfect song for your fm radio song mix...She Blinded Me with Science by Thomas Dolby! I think that it is just perfect since Lindsay is a scienctist and Flack isn't! (lol) Sorry, I just heard the song the other day and it's been stuck in my head since then!_


	37. Cold Shoulder

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Still with the drama here. Thanks everyone who is reviewing! These chapters have been hard to write (first of all, I don't like them fighting and second, it drawing to the close of the story and my muse and I don't want it to end!). As always, please, please, please R&R! My muse loves the attention! _

Chapter 37.

**Cold Shoulder**

Danny was still sitting on the barstool four hours later. He was nursing a beer since the bartender had cut him off. He felt someone sit down next to him and looked up to see Stella looking at him. "Whadda ya want, Stella?"

Stella shook her head in disappointment. "Danny, what are you doing? Sitting here in the middle of the day, getting drunk? Spill it."

Danny looked at Stella, fighting the urge to tell her everything.

Stella stared Danny deep in the eyes. _"Come on, Danny. You've got to let it out. There is so much pain in your eyes. Come on, just tell me."_ She kept up the silent soliloquy in her head, mentally trying to get him to break down.

Finally, Danny folded. In a quiet voice he told Stella what had happened on the roof.

Stella listened to Danny. When he was done with the story, she muttered under her breath. "Εσείς ηλίθιος διανοητικώς καθυστερημένος! Γιατί η κόλαση εσείς θα έλεγε αυτή σε την; Ατομα! Είστε όλοι όμοιο!"

Danny looked confused. "What?"

Stella shook her head. "You don't want to know. Danny, why did you say that to her?"

"I don't want her to hurt herself. Stella, I really…." Danny trailed off before he could make the confession.

"Ah, Danny. She wasn't trying to hurt herself. She was trying to deal with the pain. Everyone deals with pain in their own way. You tend to lash out at people. I bury myself in work. Cory obviously wanted to be by herself. You should have left when she told you she wanted to be alone."

"But…"

Stella cut Danny off. "No buts, Danny. Damn! Why are men so stupid and insensitive! Really, Danny. Think about. Really stop and think about what you said to her. Put that in combination with what Ortiz had just said in the interrogation. I know you're not dumb, figure it out." Stella was exasperated with Danny.

Danny was to drunk to try to even think. "Are you talkin' in some secret woman code? I don't get it, Stella."

Stella rolled her eyes. "Come on, Danny. Let me pour you into a cab and get you home. Maybe you can figure it out, tomorrow." Stella guided Danny out of the bar and saw him safely home.

(The next day)

When Danny woke up the next day, he had a slight hangover. He groaned when he thought about what had happened. _"Smooth, Messer. Real smooth. Why was she so pissed off that I asked if she was okay?"_

Danny lay in bed, thinking about the conversation on the roof and his subsequent conversation with Stella. _"Stella said that men were stupid and insensitive. What did she mean? I was just trying to protect her! I just want her to be happy. Damn it. I wish I had killed Ortiz. Then he wouldn't have caused this fight!"_

After 15 frustrating minutes of trying to figure Cory out, Danny gave up. He got up and took a shower. He got dressed and decided to go to the crime lab to see if Mac would let him work on something.

(Cory's apartment)

When Cory woke up, she felt the depression that she had been fighting come to the forefront. _"Why did Danny do that? Granted, I should not have snapped at him like I did, but Hell! I wanted to be left alone. Did he really think that by some miracle that I would want to talk after what Ortiz had said to me? Whatever. It's best that this happened. Now I don't have to worry about hurting him when I leave for Dallas."_

Cory sighed unhappily as she got ready for work. The only bright spot in her day was that she was going to interrogate Travis. She was looking forward to it.

(Crime Lab)

When Danny walked into the crime lab, he felt like he had a purpose. He immediately went to Mac's office to try to beg to be let to work on something. _"Please let Mac be in!"_ He was in luck.

Mac looked up at Danny when he walked into his office. "Danny? What are you doing here? You have another three days off before coming back to work."

Danny looked at Mac. "Please, Mac. There's gotta be something that I can do. I'm going stir-crazy at home."

Mac looked at Danny again. When he responded, he had a sympathetic gleam in his eyes. "Danny, you know I can't. Just because you and Cory had a fight, I can't put you back to work. Department rules."

Danny looked at Mac in shock. "How did you know?"

Mac gave him a little smile. "You have the look that all men have when they've done something stupid and have no idea what that was. You want to talk about it?"

Danny just shook his head no. "Naw. I think I'll try to find something else to occupy my time."

Danny turned in resignation and walked out of the lab. _"Maybe I just go apologize to Cory. Although, I still have no idea why!"_

(FBI Headquarters)

Cory sat at her desk, reviewing some of the files and pictures that they had recovered from Ortiz's apartment. She was looking for a reason that Travis had become a traitor. She was still pouring over the data when there was a knock at her door. She looked up and smiled at Agent Michaels as he walked in. "Hi. Is it that time already?"

Agent Michaels nodded. "Yeah. Are you ready to interrogate him?"

Cory nodded. "Yes. That's for changing the time from yesterday. I don't think that I would have handled it very well."

"I understand. Ortiz got under your skin. I'm just very impressed that you were able to keep your calm for as long as you did."

"Thanks. Although afterwards…I just lost it. I'm ready. Let's go break Travis."

(Interrogation room)

Cory walked into the interrogation room, calm and collected. Agent Michaels followed her. "So Travis. Did you want to wait for your attorney?"

Travis looked at her. "No. I'm fine."

Cory nodded her head. "Let's begin." She sat down. "Start from the beginning. How did Ortiz contact you?"

Travis looked at his hands. "It was two years ago. I had just been selected to head the New York investigation into Mala Suerte. Two months after I started, I got an email. In that email were surveillance photos of my family." Travis paused.

Cory nodded understandingly. "Okay. I can see that receiving that probably freaked you out a little. Why not try and find out who sent the email?"

Travis looked back up at her. "The email said that if anyone found out, they would kill my entire family."

Cory nodded again. "What did they want you to do?"

"The email left instructions for me to meet someone at a warehouse in the meat packing district. So I went. When I got there, I found Ortiz waiting for me. He bound me, hand and foot to a chair. Then he graphically told me what he would do to my family if I refused to work with him."

Cory closed her eyes. "Continue."

Travis took a deep breath. "I couldn't let my family be hurt, so I agreed to give him information."

Cory perked up at this. She knew from the evidence that she had gathered that Travis was doing a lot more than giving Ortiz information. She decided to let the story unfold. "What kind of information?"

"Locations of raids. Names of undercover agents. Information on you."

Cory looked up confused. "Information on me? Why? I wasn't even in New York at that time."

Travis nodded. "I know. At first, it was just stuff like whether or not you were still on the investigation. Then it became….darker. He wanted me to give him your personal habits. I told him no. I couldn't do it. First of all, I had no idea of what type of info I could get on an agent that was fifteenhundred miles away. So he made me give him a list of name of agents in Dallas." Withthat he drew in a breath.

Corytried to stay calm. "So, there is a mole in Dallas, too? I want that list of names."

Travis smiled. "Sorry, I don't remember any of them."

Cory felt her eyes frost over. "Trust me. You'll remember them. But by all means carry on with your story. When's the first time you killed someone for him?"

Travis looked surprised. "How?"

It was Cory's turn to smile. "How did I know? Travis, I'm not stupid. Plus, Ortiz has tapes and pictures of you killing people. You haven't answered my question."

Travis looked at her. "The first time was the first undercover agent we put in the field. Ortiz told me that if I didn't kill him, then he would torture my wife while I watched. I felt…trapped. I didn't know what to do. I tried desperately to think of a way out of the situation, but since I'd already told him who the agent was…I had no choice. It was the most difficult thing that I'd ever done. I can still see the look in his eyes as he died. I felt like pond scum."

Cory sat there, processing the information. "You should feel like pond scum. What you did was inexcusable."

Travis nodded. "I know."

Cory's furrowed her brow as his words sunk in. "You said the first time. What about the second?"

"It was the same situation. This time it was easier. I knew that if I did it fast I would deal with it better."

Cory removed some pictures from the folders. "I can understand about the agents. But what about these five men? Why did you kill them?" She laid the pictures of the dead men from the human slave case in front of Travis.

Travis smiled an evil smile. "That was for fun."

"For fun? Killing five men is fun for you? What ever happened to bowling, pool, playing poker? What changed you from a normal person into a killer?" Cory was struggling to keep her calm.

Travis' eyes bore into hers. "Have you ever killed someone?" Cory shook her head, no. "It's an amazing rush. You're playing God. You have the power to decide who lives and who dies. It's….addictive. Stronger than any drug you can buy. All it took was a couple of times and I was hooked. After that, Ortiz no longer had to threaten my family. He had me."

Cory looked at her former boss, unable to comprehend how much he had changed from the man she knew. He was like Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The difference was night and day. She shook her head in amazement. "Who are you? How did you go from a loyal FBI agent to a psychopathic killer?"

Travis just laughed. "Maybe I was always this way, but in denial. Ortiz just set my true personality free."

Cory gathered the pictures back up. "This interview is over." With a jerk of her head, she motioned for the other agent to escort Travis back to his cell.

When he was gone, Agent Michaels turned to her. "You handled that very well. You realize that you just got him to confess to seven murders, right?"

Cory sighed wearily. "Yeah. It doesn't give me any pleasure, though. I don't understand. You become a cop to uphold law and order. Why become the bad guy? How did all of the psychological exams that the Bureau administers to potential candidates miss that?"

Agent Michaels looked at her. "Psychological profiles can only get you so far. He was hired on way before the exams were perfected. Don't beat yourself up over it. You can't change the past."

Cory smiled a little at that. "I know. Doesn't mean that I don't want to try to."

Agent Michaels laughed as he left the room. Cory gathered the files and followed him out, going to her office.

When she got to her office, she saw Danny standing there. "What do you want, Danny?"

Danny looked at her, a little uncomfortable. "I want to apologize."

Cory's heart leapt that the thought. She raised her eyebrows. "Apologize for what?"

Danny shifted on his feet, a little uncomfortable. "Um. For whatever I did that made you mad?"

"_He doesn't know? He hasn't….Men!" _Cory's heart fell back into her chest. "You don't know why you're apologizing? Just leave, Danny. I don't want to talk to you right now."

Danny started to get angry. He was trying to make things right and she just blew him off. "You know what? Never mind. I take my apology back. You obviously don't want this relationship to work. Look. I don't know what crawled up your ass and bit you, but I ain't takin' this anymore."

"You know what, Danny. If you can't even figure out what made me mad, then I don't want to be in a relationship with you. Just leave. Please, just leave."

This time Danny complied with her request, storming out of her office muttering under his breath in Italian.

Cory watched him go, her heart breaking into a million pieces.

**A/N:**

_Translation of the Greek: You stupid moron! Why the hell would you say that to her? Men! You are all alike!_

_the little corinthian- I think that it's more than just a relationship issue...It's an emotional one. Neither one of them are really good about letting people in for obvious reasons and they have instictively been on their best behavior to keep one another happy. I picture Stella grabbing Danny by the ear and frog marching him to Cory's to apologize! (LOL)._

_chili-peppers- I'm glad you liked! It was really fun to write (although I had to envision something that made me mad to get the tone right!). So far, my muse is letting me stick with the plan and eventually they will make up (both will eat some major crow)._

_stargazr- Glad to see you back! At least you've kept up with the story :D My bf (and beta) was the one who convinced me to have them fight. I knew it was necessary, but I was having probs since I really did not want them to fight. But with the way it worked out, it's been better for the story! The something else is coming (I won't say what chapter, but you will have to use your imagination, since I'm not able to write smut very well!)._

_pnkrckprncss- This is one of my fav chapter's too! (18 and 19 are my other fav's). She will definately handle Travis better...She had a long time to build up so much resentment to Ortiz so that was part of the issue with him. I'm glad I'm not predictable. I hate that. I really like to surprise my readers once in a while. Be forwarned. I start back to college on Aug. 28, so any additional stories will be few and far between until winter break. (probably once or twice a month, depending on what part of the semester I'm in. Definately a couple of weeks before finals...There will be probably no stories)._


	38. Save Tonight

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Okay, time line wise this is in the early part of September, and it is Friday. As always, please, please, please R&R! My muse loves the attention! Oh, I don't own the chapter title either….It belongs to Eagle-Eye Cherry!_

Chapter 38.

**Save Tonight**

Six weeks had passed since Danny and Cory's fight. It was the beginning of September. Cory had avoided Danny whenever possible. She had kept from going to Ray's, instead settling for meeting Stella and Lindsay for drinks somewhere else.

Cory was sitting in her office, going over the remaining evidence that had not been processed. She sighed as she realized that soon she would have to return to Texas. As if he was reading her thoughts, Agent Michaels walked into her office. "Hi, Cory. How is the evidence gathering going?"

Cory looked up. "I'm almost done. Have we heard any word about when Ortiz's trial will be scheduled for?"

"That's why I'm here. The trial is scheduled for the beginning of October. Do you think that you're ready for it?"

Cory nodded her head. "Yes, sir. With the trial only being a month away, I guess it's time for me to go back to Texas."

Agent Michaels smiled. "I kind of thought that you might say that. I have a ticket for you. The flight leaves on Sunday."

Cory nodded. "Thanks. I'll pack up the apartment tonight."

Agent Michaels left her office. Cory sat there, sadness washing over herself. She knew that it was necessary to go back to Texas, but she was sad that her relationship with Danny had not worked out. _"It's for the best."_

Her phone rang at that time. "Reid."

"_Hey, Cory. It's Lindsay."_

"Hey, Linds. What's going on?"

"_I wanted to know if you want to go out tonight with Stella and me."_

"Sure. Where are we going?"

"_How about Ray's?"_

Cory felt her heart plummet at the thought of possibly seeing Danny. "Linds…What about Danny?"

"_I promise that he won't be there. He and Don are going out."_

"Speaking of Don, how are things going with y'all?"

"_It's good. It's been an adjustment, living together, but so far, so good."_

Cory smiled. "That's good to hear. Meet y'all at 8?"

"_Sounds good. See you then."_

Lindsay hung up the phone and looked at Flack. "Okay. It's all set. She thinks that Danny is not coming, so keep him out of sight until she's had at least one drink. We will get them back together."

Flack nodded. "I feel weird doing this."

Lindsay looped her arms around his neck. "I know this is not a typical guy thing, but you did talk to Danny, right?"

Flack nodded. "I talked to him, but I'm not sure if he even understands it. I mean, come on! You had to explain to me why she reacted the way she did!"

Lindsay sighed. "This had better work. I can't stand to see them give each other to cold shoulder anymore."

(8pm, Ray's)

Cory walked into Ray's, ready to relax after a long day. She walked to the bar and asked Greg for a drink. She ordered a Cosmopolitan. She took the drink and went to sit at her normal table.

She waved at Stella and Lindsay as they walked in. "Hey, guys! I've got some news for you."

Stella and Lindsay sat down and the waitress took their drink orders. Stella looked at Cory. "What do you mean you have news?"

Cory smiled. "I'm going home. I'm being sent back to Dallas. I'm so relieved."

Stella and Lindsay looked at her in shock. Lindsay responded first. "What do you mean? You're going home?"

Cory nodded. "Yeah. We've processed all the evidence that we gathered and the trial is scheduled for the beginning of October. I need to go back and prepare for the trial."

Stella looked at her. "Are you sure you want to leave?"

Cory looked at Stella with a serious gleam in her eyes. "I'm sure Stella. I've been through a lot here and I'm ready to get back to my life."

Lindsay looked at her. "What about Danny?"

Cory just shook her head. "What about him? We weren't meant to be." Cory sounded a little despondent at that thought.

Both of the women looked at her. Stella recognized the gleam in her eyes as unshed tears. "Cory. Come on. When you and Danny were together, it was magical. Even the birds could see the chemistry. Why are you willing to just let that go?"

Cory bristled a little at that. "I'm not willing to throw it away, but I will not let anyone dictate my life for me. That's what Danny was doing."

Lindsay rolled her eyes. "Really? Or was he just caring for you. Cory, he was worried about you. You were acting out of character and had just been through a horrible experience. He is allowed to try to take care of you."

Cory closed her eyes. "I really don't want to talk about Danny. I want to spend time with my friends before I leave."

Both women nodded. Lindsay decided to probe her for more information. "When do you leave?"

"Sunday. I'm not sure what time my flight is yet."

Lindsay looked at her. "What do you plan on doing when you get home?"

Cory smiled. "If my flight is early enough, I plan on going to see my horses. I haven't seen them in almost a year. I'll probably go riding. Then, I'm going to this great little hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant and have a margarita and fajitas."

Stella laughed. "You miss the food that much?"

Cory laughed. "Oh, yeah. That has been the hard part about living here."

All the women laughed at that.

Cory looked across the bar and stopped laughing as she saw Danny walk in. "Lindsay? I thought you said that Flack and Danny were going out?"

Lindsay looked down at her hands. "Um…Yeah, they did. But…" Lindsay trailed off.

"But what?" Cory sounded suspicious.

"I set this up so that you and Danny could talk. Cory, you guys are so great together. Stella and I thought that this was for the best."

Cory pursed her lips as Flack and Danny walked to the table.

Danny looked at Cory. His heart was beating wildly in his chest. _"I miss her so much. God, she looks like this last six weeks didn't even happen."_

Cory looked into Danny eyes. She saw pain and concern in his eyes. She bit her lip, bent over, grabbed her purse and got up. "Excuse me. I have to go." She all but ran out of the bar and back to her apartment.

Danny watched her retreating back and sat down in disappointment. "I guess she really does hate me." He moved his glasses and rubbed his eyes. When he looked up, he saw Stella and Lindsay having a silent conversation. "What's going on?"

Stella was the one that answered him. "She's going back to Texas, Danny. Her plane leaves on Sunday. We're sorry. We didn't know or we would not have set this up."

Danny had thought that his heart could not break anymore than it already was, but the thought of her leaving galvanized him into motion. "Screw this. I'm going to talk to her before she leaves." Danny got up and left the bar in a hurry.

(Cory's apartment)

By the time Cory reached her apartment, she was in tears. She walked in a put a CD compilation into her stereo and started to pack up everything. The tears flowed faster when _Broken_ by Seether, featuring Amy Lee started to play. _"This is how I feel. I'm broken. Danny makes me feel whole. Why did I have to find the perfect guy, only to have to leave him? I can't stay here just for him or I'll begin to resent him."_

She was packing up her DVD's when she heard a knock at here door. _"That's probably Lindsay to see if I'm alright."_ She tried to dry her tears, but they were still flowing when she opened the door. "Danny? What are you doing here?"

Danny took one look at her tear-stained face and just drew her into his arms. "I'm sorry. I was so insensitive. You took my caring for me trying to control you, didn't you?" Cory nodded silently into his shoulder. "I never wanted to control you. I wanted to protect you." He rubbed her back in soothing circles.

"I know." The reply was muffled. "God, Danny. I'm so sorry. I just wasn't in a good place that day and I just wanted to be left alone. I'm sorry that I let my temper get the best of me." She drew back a little from him and gave him a watery smile. "I ruined the last six weeks for us, didn't I?"

Danny sighed. "We could have spent the last six weeks happy instead of miserable. But I do understand. Stella and Lindsay explained it to me. I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you."

Cory sniffed. "I know, but it was going to happen one way or another. The fates are laughing at us, Danny. My life is in Texas and yours is here. It never would have worked out."

Danny was stunned to hear how pessimistic that she was being. "Why be so down on it?"

Cory drew herself away from him. "I'm not being down about it, I'm being a realist. A long distance relationship would never work with our jobs. It's hard enough to get time off, but to try to get time off together? Plus, whenever we would have to leave each other, it would be just painful."

Danny thought about it. "I suppose you are right. I don't want you to leave. Why don't you move here?"

Cory shook her head. "Why don't you move to Dallas?"

Danny was caught off guard by the question. "Because I can't!" He realized as soon as he said the words why she had asked the question. "I see what you're getting at. I guess this is goodbye. Damn. I don't want you to leave. When does your plane leave?"

Cory felt the tears begin again. Agent Michaels had called her after she had left the bar with her flight information. "I'm flying out of La Guardia and the flight leaves at 6:45 am. Look, you want to hang around a while? I'm just going to be packing everything up. I'll have everything, except my clothes, shipped back to Dallas. I could use the company."

Danny agreed and began to help her put her DVD's and CD's in boxes. While he was working, he decided to learn more about her past. "So, do you own a house in Dallas?"

Cory smiled. "Not in Dallas, but in a suburb. It's not much, but it's my own. I do have horses, though."

"You own horses?"

"I am from Texas. I love to ride. I do so at least once a week, when I'm home."

Danny could help but let his mind go to the gutter at her statement. He groaned silently. "So, who's taking care of your house?"

"I was renting it, fully furnished of course. A couple of months ago, the renters decided to move out. With how the case was going, I knew that I would probably be back there in a couple of months, so I left it empty. I had a cleaning service go in and clean it. My best friend checks in on it at least once a week, for me."

"Why not your family?"

"My best friend lives closer. Plus, I didn't want them to have to do anything else. They are already taking care of my horses and all my plants."

"Are you close to your family?"

"Pretty close. I still go to church with them every week and celebrate all major holidays with them. It's been hard being away from them. I've only gotten back home twice in the time I've been here."

"They'll be happy your back." Danny got a new box together and began to put more CD's in them.

Cory looked at him. "Are you close to your family?"

He shook his head. "Not really. The only one I want to be close to right now is Louie, and he's in a coma. Mommy's alright to be around, but Dad…Let's just say he's not happy with my career choice. He's….well connected."

Cory looked at him, understanding what a difficult choice he made. "You made the right choice, Danny."

"How did you…" Danny trailed off.

"I just knew. Do you want me to tell you more about my family?" Danny nodded and Cory began to describe her Mom, Dad, sister, nieces and nephews to him.

Danny and Cory worked quickly, packing up her apartment. When they were done, it was 5 am. The only thing she had left to do was to wash and pack all of her clothes.

She sat down on her couch in exhaustion. Danny sat next to her with a groan. "I'm so tired."

She looked at Danny. "I know what you mean. I didn't expect to get this all done tonight. I fully expected to spend all day tomorrow packing everything. Thank you for your help."

Danny turned and looked deep into her eyes. "Not a problem. I got to spend more time with you. With that, he lowered his head and gently took her lips with his.

The fire he set off in her body was explosive. Cory whimpered as he changed the angle of the kiss and became more insistent. After a few moments, they broke apart, both breathing heavily.

Cory looked at Danny, debating with herself on whether or not she wanted to take the next step. Her heart decided for her when she heard the song that began to play from her CD. It was _Save Tonight_ by Eagle-Eye Cherry.

Cory got up from the couch, singing.

"_Go on and close the curtains,_

_'cause all we need is candlelight._

_You and me and the bottle of wine,_

_gonna hold you tonight, oh yeah._

_Well, we know I'm going away_

_And how I wish, I wish it weren't so_

_so take this wine and drink with me_

_let's delay our misery..._

_Save tonight_

_Fight the break of dawn_

_Come tomorrow_

_Tomorrow I'll be gone_

_Save tonight_

_Fight the break of dawn_

_Come tomorrow_

_Tomorrow I'll be gone_"

As she finished the chorus, she grabbed Danny's hand and let him to her bedroom.

He looked at her in shock. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

As a response to him, she just kissed him passionately while starting to unbutton his shirt.

**A/N:**

_chili-peppers- I love Stella muttering in Greek...It's just perfect! I wish I could speak Greek, too. I'm glad that you liked the chapter! Thanks!_

_pnkrckprncss- I promise that I will finish this one before I take my hiatus to deal with school. Thank you for the luck in school...I keep saying to myself, only 7 more classes, only 7 more classes and then I'll have my BA...I think that Danny was too drunk to be thinking clearly! If he'd have been less drunk, I might have had Stella grab him by the ear and let her give him a five minute lecture in Greek. You speak Cantonese? That's cool! 18 is the second half of the club and 19 is the memories chapter where you find out about her past with Ortiz._

_the little corinthian- Funny how a broken heart makes everyone revert back to their childhood! I do so like to write them together (although my fav to write is the angst and it's kinda hard to do that when they are happy!)...Glad you like it!_

_axellia- I swear that FF has it out for you...first it won't let you review, then you can't update your story? Man, you so need to find the fairie that is playing with your computer and send it back home! The reason she didn't smack Ortiz was because she had already gotten that out of her system...She kicked his ass before he was in custody! Wow...I'm glad I had you in shock. He really stuck his foot in his mouth. I'm glad you liked Stella muttering in Greek. That was just so much fun for me to write. I see Mac as the father figure and Stella as the mother figure. That was definately a mom tirade! I was going back and forth about how I was going to write Travis...Part of me wanted to have him sympathetic but the other part wanted him to be pure evil...I think I managed a compromise! He started out good and ended up pure evil. I agree, he is so much creepier than Ortiz! Your wait is over!_


	39. Farewell

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Okay…This is the Saturday before Cory leaves...It's kinda fluff. Oh, I still don't own Taylor….As always, please, please, please R&R! My muse loves the attention! Also, this is kind of a short chapter. But I felt that some more fluff was necessary before the angst of her actually leaving!_

Chapter 39.

**Farewell**

When Cory woke up the next morning, she was still basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking. She sighed contently as she slowly traced random patterns on Danny's chest. She took a quick glance at the clock and realized that it was noon. Not knowing if Danny had to work or not, she decided to wake him up. "Danny? _Mon cherie?_ Come on. Wake up."

Finally Danny began to stir. "What's the matter?" His voice was sleepy and Cory decided it was very sexy.

"Do you have to work today?"

Danny thought for a second. "Nope. I'm just on second call. I work the swing shift tomorrow."

Cory smiled as she bent over him. "Good. I have some rather interesting plans for today." She lowered her head and kissed him deeply.

Danny leaned up into the kiss, putting his arms around her. He lightly traced a finger down her spine and was rewarded as she began to giggle.

Cory began to laugh so hard that she tried to move away. "Stop!" She got out in between the giggling. She squirmed. "Please. I'm ticklish. Danny!"

When Danny finally stopped tickling her she realized that they had changed positions and he was above her now. He winked at her. "Gotcha!" Then he bent his head to kiss her again.

A couple of hours later, they finally decided to get out of bed due to hunger. Cory went to the kitchen and was fixing lunch when Danny walked in wearing only his boxers. He went to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water from it. "So what are you going to do with all this food?"

Cory responded without turning around. "The fresh and frozen stuff I'm giving to one of my neighbors. All of the food that is non-perishable I'm taking to a food bank. That reminds me, I still have so much to do before I can leave. I've got to wash all my clothes and pack up the bedrooms." Cory got serious at that thought. _"I wish I didn't have to go, but I can't stay just for him."_

Danny, too, was saddened by the thought of her leaving. He walked over to her and put his arms around her. "_Ti amo, bella._ I wish that you didn't have to go."

Cory turned in his arms, facing him. "_Ti amo, _Danny. _Je t'aime avec tout mon coeur._ I love you with all my heart, _cherie._ I wish I didn't have to go either, but we both knew going into this that this day would come. It just doesn't make it any easier."

Danny hugged her, breathing in the scent of her hair. "I know. I can still wish though."

Cory nodded silently as she stepped back from him and finished preparing lunch. After they had eaten, it was about three o'clock. Cory put her clothes in to wash. _"Luckily, I only have one load to wash, since I washed everything earlier this week."_ She went to her bedroom to pack her clothes that were clean. She brought out two suitcases and started with her underwear drawer.

That was how Danny found her after cleaning up the kitchen and packing all of the non-perishable food. "Whacha doin'?"

"Packing my clothes."

"Can I help?"

Cory couldn't help but laugh. "Sorry Danny. I really don't think I'm comfortable with you packing my underwear."

Danny got a twinkle in his eyes. "You didn't seem to mind last night."

Cory just blushed and Danny laughed. "What about your other clothes?"

Cory nodded and gestured to the closet. "You can start on those. Pack up all the jeans and t-shirts first. Then start on the work clothes." Cory walked to the closet and grabbed a pair of jeans and a purple t-shirt out of the closet. "Except these. I'll wear these tomorrow."

Danny nodded and carefully began to pack her clothes. About an hour later, they were done. Cory had included a couple of pairs of shoes in the suitcases, just in case the moving truck was delayed for any reason. The rest of the shoes, she put in another box and labeled it for transport.

She went to the bathroom and began to pack that up.

Finally, about 7 pm, she was completely done packing. Danny and her sat on the couch, contemplating dinner. Finally, Danny looked at her. "Do you want to go out?"

Cory nodded. "It sounds like a plan. Let me grab my purse and we can leave." She locked up the apartment and they left.

Fifteen minutes later, Cory was completely confused. "Where are we going?"

Danny smirked. "It's a surprise."

Finally, they stopped walking in front of an apartment building. Danny looked down at Cory and saw the confusion in her eyes. "Stella and Lindsay called me. They planned a going away party for you. I had to have you here by eight."

Cory looked like she was in shock. "Really? They did that just for me! They are so sweet! What are we waiting for, let's go up."

Danny led her up into the building and up to Stella's apartment. He knocked on the door.

Stella opened up the door and quickly took Cory in a hug. "Welcome to my apartment! How are you doing?"

Cory returned her hug and thought carefully about what she wanted to say. "Thank you. I'm doing okay. I have mixed feelings about leaving."

Stella drew her away into the kitchen, so they could be alone. "How are you and Danny doing?"

Cory sighed. "Okay. He apologized, I apologized and we both realize how hard tomorrow is going to be for us." Cory paused. "I love him, Stella. I love him, like I haven't loved anyone since James. It scares me."

Stella looked at her, a knowing look in her eyes. "Love should make you feel safe. It frees you, it doesn't bind you."

Cory looked at Stella and began to laugh. "Yes, oh wise one. How far up the mountain did I climb?"

Stella took the jab in a good-natured manner and started to laugh. "Hey! It's true. Let's grab some drinks. Everyone else should be here soon."

They walked back into the living room to see Danny sitting on the couch. Cory smiled. "Here ya go, sweetie." She handed him a beer. She sat down next to him, also with a beer in hand. She laid her head on his shoulder just as a knock sounded at the door. Flack and Lindsay walked in.

Lindsay walked over to Cory and gave her a hug. "Ready to go back?"

"Yes and no. It will be nice to see my family and friends. It's been a long time since I was back."

Lindsay nodded. "I understand completely. I haven't been back since I left. I find that I miss the weirdest things."

Cory nodded. "Me, too! It's really sad, but I missed the summer weather and the meteorologists that are on the air in Dallas. They make all of the insane jokes about Texas weather, but…I don't know. It's hard to explain. I miss the smell of cut grass, the sight of the stars in the sky at night."

Lindsay nodded, feeling a little homesick. "Same here. Lord, I'm going to miss you when you leave. It was nice to talk to someone who had a similar background to me."

Cory smiled and then jumped a little when a pair of hands covered her eyes. "What the heck?"

"Guess who?"

Cory jumped up. "Taylor! Hey. How are you?"

"It's been quiet. I heard a crazy rumor that you are going back to Texas and I had to say goodbye."

The girls continued to talk, while the guys moved to the other side of the room.

Flack looked at Danny. "So, how ya holding up?"

Danny sighed. "I don't want her to leave, but I don't have a choice. I can't force her to stay."

Mac walked in at that time. He walked over to the guys.

Danny looked at Mac. "Hey, Mac."

Mac looked at him, seeing the underlying pain in his eyes. "Danny. You okay?"

"Yeah. Now that everyone here, let's get this party started."

(After the party)

Cory finally decided to call it a night about 11 pm. "Sorry, Stella. My flight leaves so early tomorrow that I need to get some sleep."

Stella nodded. "I understand. Go back to your apartment, get some sleep."

Cory and Danny left, slowly walking back to her apartment. "Are you going to stay with me tonight, Danny?"

"Yeah. I want to spend as much time with you as possible. Plus, it would be stupid for me to go home, only to come back over to take you to the airport. When are the rest of your belongings being shipped?"

"Monday. The Bureau provides a service and Agent Michaels said that he would supervise for me. I should have everything back in Dallas as of Tuesday."

"Oh. It's going to be really weird not having you here."

Cory smiled. "We can always call and email. I'll keep you updated on pretrial jitters. By the way, all y'all are being subpoenaed to testify in the case."

"I know. We got served a couple of days ago. So I guess the second week in October, I'll get to see what Texas looks like. Any suggestions on what kind of clothes I should bring?"

Cory laughed. "Well…It's Texas in October, so you should be prepared for anything. We could have temperatures from the mid to upper nineties or it could be in the forties or fifties. The weather's kinda crazy there that time of year. Best advice would be to make sure you watch the weather the week before. Or check online. Hell, you could always call me and I can tell you what to expect!"

Danny opened the door of her apartment, laughing at her wry acceptance of the weather. "I think I'll definitely call you. It sounds too unpredictable."

They walked through her apartment and to the bedroom. Cory got ready for bed and lay down. Danny got in beside her and within minutes, he was asleep.

Cory, however, was having trouble falling asleep. She was to keyed up and nervous. After lying in bed for an hour, she carefully extracted herself from Danny's arms.

She went into the living room and opened up her laptop. She took out her ear buds and brought up her jukebox. Carefully she went through her music and selected songs for a mix for Danny. When she was done, she burned the CD and put it into a case.

Then she took out some paper and started to write a letter to him, to let him know how she felt about leaving him. Two hours later, and eight letters that she was not satisfied with, she finally got the wording right. She sealed the letter into an envelope and wrote his name on the front. She put both that and the CD into her purse, to give to him at the airport.

She looked at the clock and realized that it was almost 3 am. She decided to start getting ready to leave.

**A/N:** _If anyone wants to know what songs are on the mix CD, just PM me! It's like the ultimate love song mix. :D_

_the little corinthian- Cory gives you a Hoorah back! (Gotta love soldiers!) Of course they'll use protection (not ready for any mini-Danny's running around yet!-sorry mind went into the gutter at that thought!) On the bright side of her going back to Texas, you'll get to find out a little more about her past, plus I can write in more scenes using the landmarks since I am actually familar with them! I actually have two ways planned to end the fic, I'm just not sure which one I'll be using yet...My muse is in control and it's her call._

_axellia- I don't want her to go either, but I do understand why! I agree, she really needs to closure of seeing Ortiz put away for his crimes. I expect to only mention the actual trial, but not actually use that as a backdrop until the verdict is in. I feel that it would just be redundant to write the trial since I've pretty much covered all of his crimes in the story!--That was one of my favorite lines to write! I had to admit, my mind has been in the gutter since I wrote his chapter! Glad you liked the ending:D_

_chili-peppers- I'm glad you like that song! It's one of my favorites, too. Yeah, I couldn't have them keep fighting...I want a happy ending! I'm honestly not sure how many more chapters...everytime I revise my estimate it goes up! So I'm going with, it's over when it's over and not a second before. :D_

_pnkrckprncss- I'm sorry I made you cry! (Really, 40 is the tearjerker.) I love to write angst, but I always try to give enough fluff, too! That's cool that you use speaking Cantonese to cover cursing! That made me laugh. I do something similar with French, although I only know a couple of curse words in French! As per the remaining chapters...I actually have no clue. When I wrote 41, I had planned for it so tell a certain part of the story, but when it was finished it was completely different than what I had planned! My muse just took over._


	40. Leaving on a Jet Plane

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Okay, time line wise this is in the early part of September (Actually, it's September 1), and it is Friday. As always, please, please, please R&R! My muse loves the attention! Oh, I don't own the chapter title either….It belongs to Peter, Paul and Mary! Also, you might want to have a box of tissues nearby! (Just warning you!)_

**A/N #2:** _Yeah! More than 200 reviews! I'm passing out champagne and cake if anyone wants some...On a side note...Congrat's to Screaming-Poetically--she was review #200. I shall be adding in the character of her choice to the story for at least one chapter!_

Chapter 40.

**Leaving on a Jet Plane**

Danny woke up when he heard the shower start. He opened his eyes and ran his hand over Cory's side of the bed. He realized that the sheets were cool, like she had not been lying there for a while. Confused, he sat up and waited for her to finish the shower.

Cory took a long hot shower. She was tired, but the shower was helping her to wake up. She sighed as she shampooed her hair, watching the foam wash down the drain. After about twenty minutes, she got out of the shower and got dressed.

She put on a little make-up and combed out her hair, to prevent tangles. After she was done, she put all of her make-up and lotions in her toiletries bag, but left a bar of soap out for Danny.

When she walked out of the bathroom, she was surprised to see Danny sitting up in bed. "Hey, baby."

"_Bella?_ You were gone when I woke up."

Cory smiled. "Sorry, I had to get ready to leave."

"I know. I woke up when the shower started, but the sheets were cold. Did you get any sleep?"

"No. I couldn't sleep. So I went and worked on my laptop. I didn't want to wake you up since you have to work today."

"You could have woken me up, I would have been fine."

Cory just smiled. "You'd better grab the shower. We need to leave in about 45 minutes so I can get to the airport early. I have to check in and make sure that the air marshal knows that I am on the flight."

Danny nodded and got up to take a shower.

While he was getting ready, she made a final walk through of the apartment, to make sure that she had not left anything behind. She packed up her laptop and then took out her service weapon and disassembled it. She put the gun in its carrying case just as Danny walked out of the bathroom. He was dressed in a suit without a tie. "You ready?" she asked.

Danny nodded and helped her gather her luggage and they left for the airport.

(LaGuardia Airport)

Cory didn't have any difficulties checking in. She met with the air marshal, who was glad to have her presence on the plane with him. She settled into a chair in the departure area to wait for the plane to board.

Danny sat next to her. He put his arm on the back of her chair. Cory laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. They still had about an hour before the plane left.

Fifteen minutes before the plane was scheduled to begin boarding, Danny cleared his throat. "_Bella?_"

"Hum?" Cory muttered sleepily.

"I'm really going to miss you."

Cory looked up and got lost in Danny's azure eyes. "Me, too."

Danny reached into his pocket. "I have a present for you."

"What?" She gasped as Danny drew a jewelry box out of his pocket.

Danny looked a little embarrassed. "I got this for you as a forgiveness gift, since I was such an insensitive ass." He handed her the box.

With shaking fingers, she opened it and gasped in surprise. Inside was an intricately carved jade dragon on a silver chain. "Danny! This is gorgeous." She studied it even more. "This is so thoughtful, _cherie._ Why a dragon?"

"I remembered your tattoo. I was in Chinatown a week or so ago and I saw it and I knew that I had to buy it for you."

Cory felt tears well up in her eyes. "That is so sweet. Will you put it on me?" She turned and lifted her hair out of the way as Danny fastened the necklace around her neck. "That reminds me. I have a present for you." Cory dropped her hair, leaned over and opened her purse. She withdrew the CD and letter. "Don't open this until you are in the car on the way back to the city."

"But I hate waiting to open presents!"

Cory rolled her eyes, laughing. "Trust me on this." Cory looked up when the airport personnel announced that the plane was beginning to board. "Danny?"

Danny stood up with her and quickly drew her into his arms. "Corrine Reid, I love you. Don't ever forget that."

Cory felt the tears threatening. "Daniel Messer, I love you, too."

Danny took her face in his hands and slowly lowered his head. Cory threw her arms around him as she let herself become lost in the kiss. The kiss was movie perfect in its intensity. When they broke apart, both where short of breath.

Cory decided to leave it at that. She grabbed her purse, laptop and carryon and went to board the plane.

Danny just stood watching her retreating back, one hand in his pocket and the other holding the CD and letter. He was choked up with emotion. He stood by the window until the plane taxied down the runway, preparing for takeoff.

Cory walked to the gateway, trying not to begin crying. As she was walking away, her heart began to shatter. _"I am so stupid for leaving him! But…"_ Cory's thought trailed off as she handed the agent her ticket. When she finally settled in her window seat, she took a deep breath and looked out the window, lost in thought. She never even realized that the tears she had worked so hard to stop were flowing down her cheeks.

Danny walked to his car deep in thought. _"Why did I let her go? She's taking my heart with her."_ When he got into his car, he opened up the present and realized that it was a mix CD. He put it into his CD player and listened as the first song came on. He realized that it was the song that she had sung when he dared her to sing Karaoke. Smiling, he opened the envelope.

"_My darling,_

_I sit here at two o'clock in the morning, on the night before I leave, making this CD for you. I want you to know how much you mean to me. The first song, the song that I sang that night of the bet, is called "My Immortal." It's about the pain of losing someone close to you. That's how I felt when I met you. The next song is "Broken." That is truly how I feel when you are not around. You make me whole. You are the one person that completes me. The next song is the song that I think of when I think of our relationship. It's called "Bring Me to Life." You did, mon cherie. I was dead when I met you. I was still so caught up over the death of James that I had let part of myself just fade away. You brought me back to life and for that you have my eternal gratitude. The rest of the songs are love songs, I know. It's sappy, but I wanted you to have something to remember me by. By the way, I include "That's Amore" just because I think if fits!_

_Please darling, every time you hear one of these songs, think of me. I promise that I will do the same. I don't know how many ways I can say this…Ti amo. Je t'aime avec tout mon couer. Tu es ma vie. Je laisse une partie de mon coeur avec vous. Sil vous plait, soin de prise de lui. That means that I love you with all of my heart. You are my life. I am leaving a part of my heart with you. Please take care of it._

_I will always love you._

_Cory._

_P.S. Here is my best friend's phone number. Her name is Nicole. If you ever need to reach me and can't, call her. She will always know how to reach me."_ Cory had written the number below the post script.

Danny sniffed as the emotion of what she had just said to him washed over him. He listened appreciatively to the CD as he made his way to the crime lab.

(Dallas)

When the plane to Dallas landed, Cory had just woken up. She smiled at the stewardesswhohad gently woken her up. "Thank you."

When she disembarked from the plane, she saw Nicole waiting for her. Nicole took one look at her and grabbed her in a hug. "That bad, huh?"

"How do you know what I'm thinking?"

Nicole rolled her eyes. "Hum. Let me see, we've been best friends for twenty years? Come on, Cor. I know what it's like."

Cory nodded. "Yeah. It was bad, Nic. I'm leaving a part of my heart behind in New York. I think that I love him more than James. I feel guilty about that. I know that James gave me permission to move on, but still. It's hard."

"I know, sweetie. Here, I have the perfect medicine for you. I brought my SUV, the kids are with Henry and we are going to go riding. You know the time alone with your horses will soothe you."

Cory smiled. "Thank you. You always know just what to do when I'm depressed."

Nicole help Cory gather her luggage and they left DFW International airport.

An hour later, after breakfast, they had arrived at the stables where Cory boarded her horses. She walked in and waved hello to one of the stable hands. "Pete! How are you?"

Pete smiled. "Just fine. Your horses are doing wonderful. Do you want me to saddle them up for you?"

Cory looked at Nicole. "You can saddle Delilah for Nicole and I'll saddle Sampson, myself. It's been a while since I've ridden."

Cory followed Pete into the tack room and grabbed her saddle. She walked cautiously into Sampson stall. "Hey, beautiful boy. I've missed you." Sampson snorted and the craned his neck around to see her better. "Hey, baby." She took the currycomb that she had grabbed and gave him a quick brush down. Then she saddled him carefully and made sure to adjust the stirrups. "All done. You ready to go, beautiful boy?" Cory led the horse out of the stall and into the corral. She saw Nicole sitting on Delilah already and quickly mounted. "You ready, Nic?"

"Yeah. Let's go!" Both girls set off at a trot and made their way around the corral to go into the pasture. The farm had about thirty acres of riding trails to exercise the horses on. Cory chose her normal path that lead to a small stream that ran through the farm. Once clear of all the buildings she leaned over Sampson's neck and whispered into his ear, "Let's go." She nudged him into a gallop that left Nicole and Delilah in the dust.

Cory laughed as the wind swept her hair back from her face. She didn't gallop him for long, not wanting to lose Nicole. After a few minutes of letting him have his head, she pulled gently back on the reins to slow him to a walk.

A few minutes later, Nicole caught up. "Feel better now?"

Cory was smiling broadly. "Definitely. God, I missed being able to do this. I missed you, Henry, the kids, Mom and Dad. Plus, the Mexican food up there?" Cory rolled her eyes. "I'm going to Mi Hacienda today. Want to come?"

Nicole raised her eyebrows. "You have to ask? Of course!"

By this time, they had reached the stream. Cory got off Sampson, to let him drink a little water after his hard run. She decided to sit by the stream. Nicole got off to join them. Since both horses were trained to be ground tied, they didn't have to worry about them wandering off.

Nicole decided to bring up the subject. "Cor? What happened in New York? With you, with Ortiz, with Danny? Please, talk to me."

Cory had known that this was coming. "Well, it all started…" Cory began to tell the story, in the peace of the country.

**A/N:**

_screaming-poetically- I love long reviews! They make my day. I still say that you are reading my mind with the whole "Leaving on a Jet Plane" thing. Orginally it was the title to 38, but I decided to add the fluff, so it became this chapter title for when she actually left. I can't wait to see what you have for the fm radio fanmix! You are review number 200! Yeah. While there was no fm radio fluff in this chapter, there is in the next chapter, so I hope you like it when I post it!_

_chili-peppers- I glad you like it, but all good things must come to an end (eventually)! I know that within a month I will have very little time to write, so I definately want to get it finished by then. I'm writing an average of 3 chapters a weeks, so there's still quite a few to go!_

_axellia- I'm sorry I reminded you of leaving LA! I hate leaving some place, but at least it's a little cooler there! It's okay to start bawling (she did!), and I teared up when I wrote it...What did you think of the letter?_


	41. Preparations

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Okay, shift the scene to Dallas, the Friday before the trial! As always, please, please, please R&R! My muse loves the attention! _

Chapter 41.

**Preparations**

Cory sat at her desk. It still felt weird after being back for three weeks. She looked out her window into the hot Texas sun and sighed unhappily. She thought that she would have been re-acclimated to the Texas weather, but the bright blue sky's and abnormally hot October sun just drew her deeper into her depression. The highs were still in the upper nineties.

She turned back to her desk as the phone rang. "Agent Reid."

"_Cory?"_

"Hey, Linds! What's going on?"

"_I was just calling to see how your preparations for the trial were going. You all set?"_

"Yeah. I've spent the last three weeks going over my testimony with the assistant district attorney for the case. I know that our evidence is strong; I'm just ready for it to be over. Linds, I want to move on with my life."

"_I know, Cory. It'll be over soon. How long is the trial expected to take?"_

"A couple of months. I'm hoping to have it over by Thanksgiving. I don't want that shadow over my holidays."

"_Well, on the bright side, you'll get to see all of us in a week. I miss our talks already. It was nice to talk to someone about horses and stuff without having them give me a blank look!"_

Cory laughed. "Oh, Linds. You crack me up sometimes. All you have to do is talk to the mounted officers! They know which end of a horse is up. A few of them are really nice. If you were single, I would definitely tell you which one to date!"

Lindsay laughed in response. _"You are crazy."_

"So, how are things with you and Flack? Y'all getting married yet?" Cory noticed that Lindsay was very silent at that statement. "Lindsay? What did you do? Did you and Don get married?"

"_Um…No. Almost. But no one knows!"_

"What the hell do you mean almost? You've got to spill, girl. Come on!"

"_Well…It was the Sunday that you left. We went up to the Empire State Building, at night. It was so romantic…"_

(Flashback)

Lindsay waited impatiently as the elevator made its rise to the 102nd floor observatory. "Don, this is so romantic. What made you think about it?"

Flack looked embarrassed. "Um…I really don't want to admit this, but what the hell. Watching how you guys reacted to _Sleepless In Seattle_. It got me to thinkin' and here we are."

Lindsay was incredibly touched by Flack's comment. "Aw. That's so sweet!"

Flack blushed. "Don't go spreading it around, Linds. If you do, I'll make sure that Danny will call you Montana until the day he dies!"

Lindsay laughed. "Fine. I won't mess with your macho image! That's all it is anyway. An image. You are nothing like I thought that you were. Why were you so…"

"So what?"

"You were trying to be a player. I know that you aren't, so why pretend?"

Flack got a serious look in his eyes. "It's because of Elena."

"You're ex-girlfriend? What's she got to do with this?"

Flack exhaled a breath of air. "I was in love with her. I proposed and she basically shot me down in flames. It took me months to get over her. I didn't want to go down that road again, so I thought the best thing was to act like Danny. Nothing ever hurts him."

Lindsay made a sound suspiciously between a laugh and a snort. "Are you kidding me? Of course Danny can be hurt. Did you see the look in his eyes when he found out Cory was leaving? He'd never felt like that with any of his girlfriends. He hadn't found that one special person that he was meant for. You thought you had. Can I tell you something?"

Flack felt a little better at her observation. "What?"

"I'm glad that Elena broke your heart. If she hadn't, we wouldn't be here right now." Lindsay smiled. "I love you."

Flack bent down to kiss her. "I love you, too."

Just then, the elevator doors opened up. Flack and Lindsay walked onto the observation deck. Lindsay looked out over the city. "Wow. It's so different from up here. It's almost peaceful, like at home."

Flack guided her over to the railing. He always felt at peace when he was around her, but tonight was different. He watched her pure joy as she gazed over his beloved city. She was falling for New York. Seeing it in a different light than she normally did. That was his intention. He wanted her to know that New York offered more than the violence that they both saw on the job. Slipping his hand into his pocket, his fingers caressed the box in it. Somehow he knew that it was the right time.

Lindsay turned when Flack said her name. She looked deep into her eyes and in front of the people on the observation deck, went down on bended knee. "Don?" she said, her eyes full of emotion.

"Lindsay. You are my soul mate. You complete me in a way that no one else can. I was dead before I met you. You are my reason for living. Will you please do me the honor of accepting my hand in marriage?" Flack waited for her answer, his heart beating frantically.

"Oh, Don! Yes. Yes…" She trailed off as Flack stood up and enveloped her into a passionate embrace. They did not even hear the cheers and catcalls coming from the other people on the deck with them.

When they finally broke apart and saw what kind of a spectacle that they had caused, Lindsay flushed in embarrassment. A woman who had been standing next to her winked at the pair. "Honey, if you had said no, I would have taken him up on the offer!"

Lindsay just smiled as she felt Flack take her hand. He slipped a ring onto the third finger on her left hand. It was a gorgeous ring, a single solitary diamond that sparkled in the moonlight. The setting looked old so Lindsay decided to ask him about it. "Where did you get the ring?"

"It was my mothers. She passed it onto me before she died. When I saw it after going through some stuff after the bombing, I knew that it was perfect for you."

Lindsay sighed in contentment and lifted her head to kiss him again.

(End Flashback)

Cory sat on the other end of the phone, stunned at the romantic gesture that Flack had made. "Wow. That was so amazing. Flack's a romantic! But that doesn't explain the 'Almost married' thing."

"_Well…We decided when we got home that night not to wait. With our jobs, we didn't want something to happen. We were going to go the courthouse the next day, but…"_

"But, what?"

"_Cory. Think about it. What was the Monday after you left?"_

Cory thought for a second. She didn't have many memories of that day. After she had talked to Nicole, she had gone home and slept for close to a day. Finally it dawned on her. "It was Labor Day. Everything was closed."

"_Right in one! We decided that it was a sign that we were moving a bit too fast and decided to actually plan a wedding. I'm thinking the Saturday after Valentine's Day right now."_

"I'm stunned. I can't believe it. Y'all are getting married! Does anyone else know?"

"_Not yet. I haven't even told my family. You have to promise not to tell anyone when we are down there next week. I'm not quite ready to tell anyone yet."_

"Understandable." There was a knock at her door. "Linds, I hate to do this but life is intruding and I should probably let you go."

"_Stay sane. I'll see you next week! Bye."_

Cory murmured bye as she hung up the phone. "Come in!" she called in response to the knock on her door. Her mouth dropped open as she saw who entered. "Danny? What are you doing here?"

"Hi, to you to, Feebie. What, can't I come see the woman that I love at her job?" As he said that he took his hand from behind his back.

Cory gasped. He was carrying a bouquet of yellow roses. She got up from behind her desk and threw herself in his arms. "I can't believe you're here!" She couldn't get anything else out after he claimed her lips.

When Danny lifted his head, he looked at her. "Do you know that it is hot as hell outside?"

Cory laughed. "It's not so bad. You should be here during the summer. Temperatures in the upper nineties will feel cool to you then."

"You've got to be kiddin' me."

"I'm not. Do you even know what it feels like when it's 115 degrees in the shade? Then you can tell me that it's hot as hell outside. You never answered my question. Why are you here?"

"I wanted to see you. I had some personal time, so I decided to come down early and keep you company. What's the weather supposed to be like tomorrow?"

Cory thought for a moment. "Well, we're getting a pretty strong cold front that is supposed to move through sometime between tonight and tomorrow night. Temperatures are supposed to drop with the highs in the sixties, lows in the forties. Sweater weather."

Danny raised his eyebrows. "Sweater weather?"

Cory smiled. "It's a joke, Messer. Anytime when it's really hot, whenever a cold front comes through we say it's time to break out the sweaters. Even when it's still 90 degrees outside. It's a Texas thing."

"Ohhh-kay. I'll take your word on that. When do you get to leave today?"

Cory looked at her clock, it was almost four. "I have a short meeting with the ADA about Ortiz and then I'm free. Do you need a ride to your hotel or are you staying with me? I have a spare room if you want it." She was trying to be nonchalant about Danny staying over at her house.

Danny waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "I'd love to stay with you, but not in your spare bedroom. Am I welcome?"

Cory just rolled her eyes. "Of course you are. Are you okay to stay here until I get back?" At Danny's nod, she started to leave. "Oh, Messer? Don't touch anything!"

Danny just rolled his eyes at her.

(An hour later)

Cory walked back into her office to see that Danny was looking out her window. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"They aren't worth that much. I was just thinking that I am going to have to revise my plans for this evening. It's too hot to do anything."

"Don't sound so depressed, Messer. I do have a pool."

"You have a pool?" Danny sounded excited at the thought. Then his face fell. "I don't have a swimsuit with me."

"Geeze, Messer. Is the glass ever half-full with you? We do have stores here. You can buy one."

"Stores are still selling swimsuits?"

"You can find a few. Come on. We'll go shopping and I'll cook dinner. I think I might grill tonight. You have to promise not to be a typical guy and try to take over my barbeque grill."

"Okay." Cory grabbed her purse and they walked out of the building.

Two hours later, they were at Cory's house.

Danny felt his jaw drop in amazement when he saw her house. "Wow. I was expecting…something less than this."

Cory looked at her house. It was a fairly large house, 3600 square feet. She tried to imagine how Danny felt. "Why?"

"You said that it wasn't much."

Cory felt a light go on in her brain. She had never told him about her financial history. "Oh. It is compared to my parent's house. I guess I never told you." She looked at Danny's face, which was a picture of puzzlement. "Let's just say that I choose to work for a living. Both sets of my grandparents made it big in the oil industry. When my Mom and Dad married it was the merging of two oil families. Now, my parents wanted me and my sister to grow up with the appreciation for hard work, so I never knew we had money until I was a teenager. When I bought this house, it was the first and only time that I touched my trust fund. I grew up like a normal girl, Danny. I don't live off my trust fund."

Danny looked a little skeptical at that. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Danny was in shock. _"She is so out of my league."_

Cory rolled her eyes. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want this reaction from you. I'm not out of your league, Danny. Far from it. I hope this doesn't change the way that you think about me."

Danny shook his head. She was right. She didn't act like the spoiled rich girls that he had come into contact with. "Okay. I'll trust you. Show me around?"

Cory smiled, relived that Danny was being so understanding. "Sure, but first I have to get the grill going."

Cory walked through the house and out to the deck. She bent over a small grill and put some charcoal into it. Carefully she started the fire and once she was sure that it would not go out, she turned to walk back inside.

Danny had followed her outside. He looked around the backyard that was lit by lights. There was a fairly big in-ground pool; the deck and what looked like a garden. "This is a great backyard."

"Thanks. It's my pride and joy. I love entertaining outside during the summer. Let me show you the inside of the house." She led him into the house and showed him around. "I have three bedrooms, a formal dining room, a game room and my favorite room in the house. The gourmet kitchen!" She said that as she was walking into the room.

Cory walked to the refrigerator and got a package of hamburger meat out. "Let me go change and I'll start dinner. The fire should be almost ready by now."

Cory went into her bedroom and looked through her swimsuits. _"I think I'll wear the purple bikini."_ She changed into the bikini quickly and put on shorts and a tee-shirt over it.

(After dinner)

Danny and Cory sat on her deck. It was about nine at night. Both were drinking beers. Cory sighed contently. "You ready to swim?" It was still fairly hot outside.

It took a moment for Danny to answer her. "Yeah. Sorry, I was just thinking about how full I am. Those were some good hamburgers. Gawd, you sure can cook!"

Cory blushed at the compliment. "Thanks. It's my way to unwind." Cory got up and slipped out of her tee-shirt and shorts.

Danny couldn't help but stare at her. "You are so beautiful."

Cory looked at Danny and saw her looking at him with lust in her eyes. "Come on. The water will feel so good." She turned and walked towards the pool, casting a look at Danny over her shoulder.

Danny didn't have to be told twice. He quickly stripped down to his new swimsuit, which was the same shade of blue as his eyes. He watched Cory as she gracefully dove into the pool.

When he dove in after her, he noticed that the water was warm. "Why is the water so warm?"

"It's a heated pool. What can I say? I love to swim at all times of the year. It's an indulgence." Quickly she turned playful and began a splashing war with Danny.

When it was over, both were laughing like children. Danny made a move to grab Cory and she slithered away. "Uh-uh. Catch me if you can." She swam away from him, but he caught her.

"Gotcha!" Danny was completely aroused at the feel of their wet skin rubbing against each other. He turned her around and began to kiss her.

Cory sighed into the kiss. His lips were soft and demanding all at once. She felt herself floating on the water as Danny made his way to the side of the pool.

Danny braced her against the side of the pool and his lips became more insistent. He moaned in pleasure as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

Cory decided to be carried away by her passion and gave herself up to his touch.

**A/N:** _Okay, guys. I have absolutely no idea where this chapter came from. This was so not what I had planned on writing, but I hope you enjoy! I think my muse is trying to make up for the fact that she left me by myself to write chapters 38-40. I'm interested to hear what everyone thinks about Flack's proposal! By the way, I have a friend that the married thing actually happened to. She was driving back to Texas with her fiance and stopped in Louisiana and decided to get married. The only problem was that it was Labor Day and they had not realized it. It was a good thing for her, though!_

_screaming-poetically- Yeah! A long review! I was so excited to see it. Yeah, she is heartbroken, but it'll work out in the end. I can't decide if I want Danny to make the grand gesture and move to Dallas or have Cory move to New York, yet. The angsty romance is fun to write (a la, Nora Roberts whom I love by the way!). Of course Cory and her bf get on well...They've been friend for a long time! Danny came to Texas, but unfortunately as of what I've written, he's not staying. :(_

_chili-peppers- I'm trying to get a few chapters ahead since school starts in 3 weeks (:0) I want to have this completely written by then! I'm glad you liked the letter!_

_pnkrckprncss- Going home is something that she has to do. She has to finally free herself from Ortiz, so she can move on with her life! This begans 2 chapter's of fluff, so enjoy! Nope. I posted 39 on Saturday (pretty early) and 40 late last night. I have no idea why you didn't get the email (growling at FF)._

_the little corinthian- I'm glad you liked the CD (it's got some great songs on it!). They will be happy then miserable then happy then miserable...for a while yet!_


	42. Where are the brakes on this thing?

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Okay, still in Dallas! We'll be here for a while. I must thank Axellia for this chapter title and the idea behind it. It was too great of a mental image to pass up! As always, please, please, please R&R! My muse loves the attention! _

Chapter 42.

**Where are the brakes on this thing?**

It was either late Friday night or early Saturday morning when a crash of thunder woke Danny up. He shot up in the bed next to Cory, automatically reaching for his gun.

Cory felt him move and murmured sleepily, "What's wrong?"

Danny felt a little embarrassed as he jumped with the next crash of thunder. "Sorry, the thunder woke me."

"It's alright. Go back to sleep, it's nothing."

"How can you say that it's nothing? It's like the lightning is hitting right next to us!"

Cory fought off her sleepiness. She sat up in the bed. "Danny. This is Texas. Storms like these are normal in the spring and fall. Trust me, the only time I'll worry is when the wind stops and I hear the sound of a train. Go back to sleep, baby. Trust me?"

Danny looked at her, still nervous about the weather. He decided that she was right about the weather and gathered her back into his arms. It took him a while to fall back asleep. It was only when the worst of the thunder had died down that he felt easy enough to close his eyes.

(Morning)

Cory snuggled in bed. She had left the windows slightly ajar and completely open in her bedroom, since it was protected from the rain by the trees. The temperature had cool considerably and as a result was quite chilly in the bedroom. As she became more aware of things, she noticed that Danny was stroking her hair. "Mornin'."

Danny looked down at her and smiled. "Mornin' to you to. I guess that cold front moved through!"

Cory couldn't help but laugh as she remembered how nervous Danny was the previous night. "Yup. They tend to blow through like that in the spring and fall. It's part of living here. At least there wasn't a tornado, although we get the majority of those in the spring. What time is it?"

Danny looked at the clock on the bedside table. "A little after nine. What are your plans for today?"

Cory thought for a second. "I was planning on going and exercising my horses. You're more than welcome to come."

Danny thought about it. "Okay. I'd like to see you in your natural environment."

Laughing Cory got out of bed to take a shower and was surprised and pleased that Danny joined her.

(Triple R Ranch)

Cory parked her SUV by the stables. Grinning, she got out and put on her Stetson. Danny got out a little more slowly. He was feeling very much like an outsider. He'd never been on a horse before and the thought was making him nervous.

Cory grinned like a small kid at Christmas. "Come, slow poke! Hurry up!" She grabbed his hand and dragged him into the stable. "Hey, Pete! How's it going?"

Pete smiled when he heard her come in. "Not much, Cory. Which one are you exercising today? Who's that with you?"

"Pete, I'd like you to meet, Danny. He's a….close friend from New York. If you don't mind, I'll exercise Sampson and can you saddle up Delilah for Danny?"

"Sure, not a problem." Pete turned to Danny. "So, Danny. Have you ridden much?"

Danny decided that honesty was the best policy. "No. I've never been on a horse in my life."

"Alrighty, then. Let me introduce you to Delilah. She's a sweetheart."

Danny looked nervous as Cory left him to walk into a small room. Quickly he turned his attention back to Pete as they drew up to a stall. "Oh, wow. Is this her? She's huge!"

Pete laughed at his naiveté. "Not really. She's really on the small size for a quarter-horse. She's only 14.3 hands tall (_author's note-this is about 58 inches tall)_. Now Sampson, on the other hand, stands about at 15.1 hands tall (_author's note-this is a little of 60 inches tall)_. He's really tall! Let me introduce you to her."

Pete led Danny into the stall to get acquainted with Delilah. Danny watched in wonder as Pete easily saddled the mare and led her out of the stall. He was still explaining to Danny about what was necessary to remember when riding a horse. Danny listened attentively. He did not want to fall on his face in front of Cory. Pete had just successfully walked Danny through mounting his horse when he saw Cory walk outside. He took a moment to appreciate how great the tight jeans looked on her.

Cory smiled when she saw that Danny was sitting on Delilah. "Ya look good up there, Messer. You gonna to be alright?"

Danny, whose confidence was bolstered by the fact that Delilah was a very placid beast, smiled and said, "Of course. I can handle anything!"

"Okay, cowboy. Let's see what you're made of!" Cory mounted Sampson easily, making Danny feel like a dunce. She guided Sampson to the gate at the corral. Delilah followed automatically.

Danny was nervous as Delilah began to walk. He felt himself moving easily with the animal and it boasted his confidence. Grinning like a fool, he followed Cory out of the gate and into the pasture.

Cory chose the most gently of the exercise paths for her and Danny. While she really wanted to have Sampson burst into a gallop, she knew that Danny would fall off Delilah if she went anything over a trot and Danny did not have experience to keep Delilah from following Sampson.

They rode for about fifteen minutes when Danny looked at her. "Can we go any faster?"

Cory raised her eyebrows and looked at Danny. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Okey-dokey. Lightly touch her sides with your feet. Gently squeeze. Don't kick or she'll start galloping and trust me, you ain't ready for that."

Cautious, Danny followed her suggestion and gently squeezed the horse's sides. He was rewarded by her starting to trot. Not knowing what to expect, he began bouncing up and down on her back.

Cory couldn't help but laugh at the sight. "Sweetie! Watch me." She urged Sampson into a trot and she showed Danny how to post while trotting.

Danny studied her intensely. He started to mimic her movements and soon he was moving with the horse like a pro. He grinned at his accomplishment. _"This isn't so bad. This is kinda easy!"_ Suddenly, he accidentally kicked Delilah. She took it was the intention to begin to gallop. As she began to move faster, Danny gripped the pommel of the saddle in a death grip. "Cory! Where are the brakes? Where are the brakes on this thing?"

Cory saw Danny begin to gallop and thought to herself, _"Oh, shit."_ She leaned over Sampson and urged him to catch up with them. She drew aside them and shouted over to Danny, "Pull back on the reins. That will slow her down." She sighed in relief as the pair slowed down. "Danny. You have to be careful. She's a quarter-horse. They are the fastest horses in the world."

With shaking hands, Danny brought Delilah to a halt. "Wow. That was scary. I didn't mean to!"

Cory rolled her eyes. "Just remember, just like a car, the horse will respond to the slightest thing. It's your job as a rider to give her the correct signals. Okay. Lecture over. Are you alright?"

"Other than a racing heart and a sore butt, I think so. Is there anywhere I can get off for a little bit?"

Cory smiled.Theywere close to the stream and if she remembered correctly, this part of the trail had some picnic tables. "Follow me."

She led them to the stream and dismounted. She pulled the reins over Sampson's head to ground tie him and went over to Danny to help him dismount. She smiled as he ungracefully dismounted. "Why don't you sit down for a bit?"

Danny stretched his legs. "Now I know why cowboys walk all funny. Damn, my legs hurt!" He noticed that she had just pulled the reins over the horses' heads, but did not tie them up. "Don't you have to tie them up or something?"

Cory shook her head, no. "They been trained to be ground tied. All I have to do is pull the reins over their heads. They won't stray far." She watched as both horses went to the stream and took a drink. "So what do you think of riding so far?"

Danny got a mischievous grin on his face. "I think it explains some things about you and our nocturnal activities!"

"Danny!" Cory felt the heat rush to her cheeks.

"I love makin' you blush, Cory. It's so much fun."

Cory just rolled her eyes as she lightly punched him. "Whatever. I am so relaxed now. Riding always does that to me. I get relaxed and invigorated."

Danny raised his eyebrows. He decided not to say the first thing that came to his mind.

Cory sat down next to him. "Danny? I'm glad you came down."

Danny put his arm around her. "Me, too. I liked the CD that you made me."

"Really? I was hoping that it would not be too sappy for you. Some of the songs were…"

"Cheesy? Yeah, but it was still good. I really liked hearing "My Immortal", although I liked hearing you singing it."

Cory shut her eyes in surprise. "Thanks." She leaned over and put her head on Danny's shoulder, closing her eyes. They sat like that for a long time, before she felt her stomach rumble. "I'm hungry. Are you?"

"A little. What were you thinking about eating?"

"How about some Mexican? There's this great little Mexican restaurant in Fort Worth, Joe T Garcia's. How about I call my best friend and her husband and you can meet her."

"Sounds like a plan!"

They gathered the horses, mounted and road slowly back to the stables.

(Joe T Garcia's)

Danny and Cory arrived at the restaurant just minutes after Henry and Nicole. The two women greeted each other with a hug and then Cory made the introductions.

Once seated at the restaurant, Danny and Henry began to talk about baseball. Nicole leaned over to Cory and whispered in her ear "Girl, he is hot!"

Cory giggled as she pulled back from her. The waiter stopped at the table to take their drink order. Both of the guys ordered beers while the girls ordered Dr. Peppers.

Then they ordered their food.

While munching on chips and salsa, Nicole decided to grill Danny. "So, Danny. Do you like being a CSI?"

"Yeah. I like solving puzzles and I help put criminals in jail."

"Why did you decide to become a CSI?"

Danny looked a little uncomfortable at that question. Cory just shot a look at Nicole. After thinking for a moment, Danny decided to answer as honestly as possible. "I saw the aftermath of people who do not respect the law."

Nicole saw the look that Cory shot to her and decided to change the subject. "So, what did you think of Cory when you first met her?"

Danny smirked at the thought that popped into his head. "I thought that she was kinda cute for a Southern girl. I was impressed that she knew the type of gun that was used in a shooting just by the sound."

Nicole laughed. "It's an unusual talent that she has. It comes from the fact that her dad collects guns and she been shooting them since she was 10 years old."

"Really?" Danny looked at Cory. "What type of gun did you shoot when you were only ten?"

Cory smiled. "It was just a small .22 revolver. I didn't get to shoot the big guns until I was 16. Then I got to start shooting the .357 and the double barrel shotgun. Dad and I still got shooting once a week when I'm in town."

Danny's eyes opened wide at the thought of her learning how to shoot from her Dad. "I guess we do things a little differently in New York. I didn't learn to shoot until I was in the academy."

Just then, the waiter came up with their food. Cory watched Danny's face as he took his first bite. It lit up. "Wow. This is amazing! We don't have anything like this back home."

Cory just smiled.

After they were done eating, Nicole and Henry said that they had to go home. Cory looked at her watch and was startled to see that it was almost 9 pm. The men said that they would take care of the bill, so Cory and Nicole walked outside.

Once outside, Cory turned to Nicole. "So? Does he pass your inspection?"

Nicole smiled. "Yes. But I do have one question. What was with the look you gave me about why Danny decided to become a CSI?"

Cory leaned her head to one side. "Let's just say that his decision to become a cop was very disappointing to his father and leave it at that."

Nicole nodded her head, understanding that if it was necessary, Cory would fill her in later. "Okay. I like him. I think that he's good for you. You have a light in your eyes that you haven't had in a long time. I'll miss you when you move to New York."

Cory looked up, stunned at Nicole's statement. "What do you mean, when I move to New York?"

Nicole looked at Cory in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me. Cory, if you don't move to New York to be with him, I will tie you up and ship you to New York myself. You two are meant to be together and if you throw that away, I'll….I'll…."

"Nic. Calm down. Why should I have to be the one that gives up my life for him?"

Nicole blew out a breath in frustration. She decided to change her angle of attack. "Okay. You can transfer to New York, right. Didn't Agent Michaels say that you were always welcome up there?" Cory nodded in agreement. "You made some great friends up there. Granted, it's not me…." Both Nicole and Cory laughed at that. "Anyway. You have made a life up there. You wouldn't be starting over fresh. You can always come and visit. And you know that I'm only a plane ride away."

Cory looked like she was about to say something, but Danny and Henry walked outside. Danny came over and kissed her on the cheek. "Ready to go, _bella?_"

Cory smiled. "Yeah. Nic. Henry. We need to do this again. Thanks for coming out." She leaned over and gave Nicole a hug.

Danny shook Henry's hand. "Henry and Nicole, it was good to meet you. It's nice to get to know Cory's friends. I hope we get to go out again before I leave."

Cory and Danny walked to her car. As she got in, Cory was still thinking about what Nicole had said. Only when Danny touched her arm did she shake herself out of her daze. "I'm sorry, I was lost in thought. What did you say?"

Danny looked at her with concern in his eyes. "I just asked if you wanted to catch a movie or if you wanted to stay in. Are you okay?"

Cory nodded. "I'm fine. I was just thinking about the trial on Monday. A movie sounds nice."

Danny nodded. "Let's go."

Cory drove them in the direction to of the theater, so they could enjoy the rest of the evening.

**A/N:**

_the little corinthian- My muse says hi! Maybe you can keep her in line, I'm certainly having problems doing that lately:D I'm glad you liked the proposal...It wrote itself!_

_pnkrckprncss- There is definately more fluff coming, interpersed with angst (I mean, trial!)...Don't cry. I have a sort of idea for a sequel, but if I write it, I'll only updated once a week (or I may write it completely during school and then once school is out, updated daily). But, I'm not sure if I'm ready to write it yet!_

_chili-peppers- I've had the proposal planned for a while, but the way my outline went (that has so gone out the window now) it was the final chapter! I'm glad you had happy tears! Diolch!_

_screaming-poetically- I don't know if it will be a big wedding...I see Linds with a small family (only a couple of sibs) but I want the wedding to be special! I must say that while I am used to the hot weather we have here (26 days over a hundred this year so far and August is our hottest month!), I am not used to cold weather. Of course that has something to do with the fact that when it gets cold here we get ice!_

_aphina- Glad to see you caught up! I'm glad you liked the chapters, they are definately getting a little mushy now that the main part of the case if over. I've been planning to have him propose on top of the Empire State Building ever since they watched Sleepless in Seattle, but I had planned for that to happen in the final chapter! I have no clue why it showed up early...but I don't mess with my muse or she leaves me all by myself!_

_axellia---where are you? (get some good OT, girl...you deserve it!)_


	43. Opening Arguments

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Okay, the trial starts! As always, please, please, please R&R! My muse loves the attention! And thank you to Screaming-Poetically for Tim, the ADA-obviously I don't own him:D_

Chapter 43.

**Opening arguments**

Cory woke up early on Monday morning. She was content to continue lying in bed, in Danny's arms. She turned over and laid her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Her mind kept going over what Nicole had said on Saturday night. _"Can I really do it? Can I move to New York? Can I leave my life, my family and my friends to pursue something that my heart is telling me is right? I don't know. I don't have to make any decision yet. I definitely can't leave until after this trial is over. I'll have to think this out."_

She noticed that Danny's breathing had speed up a little and raised her head. "Mornin', darling."

Danny turned his head and looked into Cory's eyes. "Mornin'. What time is it?"

Cory turned her head and looked at the clock. "6:45. I'd better get up. I need to get ready to go to the courthouse." Reluctantly, she got up to go take a shower.

Thirty minutes later, she got out of the shower and walked into her dressing area. "Danny! The shower's free, if you want it!"

Danny walked into the dressing area and handed her a cup of coffee. "Here, I thought you might like the caffeine. I'll grab my shower now."

Cory nodded and took a sip of coffee. She plugged in her hair dryer and began the long process of blow drying her hair out. She was still drying her hair when Danny got out of the shower.

Danny looked at her as she passed, just shaking his head. When she turned off the dryer, he asked, "How long does it take for you to dry your hair?"

Cory smiled. "Just blow dry? About 45 minutes. I'm just getting it for the most part dry right now. That way, it's not still wet when I take it down tonight." She turned back to the mirror, picked up her comb and carefully parted her air down the middle.

Danny watched in fascination as she began French braiding her hair into two braids. Once she was done, she wound the braids around her head. "That's amazing. How do you do that?"

Cory looked at Danny in the mirror. "It's a girl thing." She smiled. She began to put her make-up on and Danny walked into the bedroom to begin getting ready. They were both ready to leave at eight. Cory was dressed in a grey suit, with a lilac blouse. She grabbed her briefcase and together they walked to her car.

Forty-five minutes later, Cory parked her car and they began to walk to the Tarrant County Courthouse. Danny looked at the building in awe. "Wow. This is an amazing building."

Cory looked at the courthouse and smiled. "It is. The architecture is very classic. I love it here."

Together, they made it through the security and walked into the courtroom. Cory went up to the front, to a tall, good-looking man wearing a coal black Armani suit. "Mr. O'Reilly."

The man turned around. He nodded to her. "Agent Reid."

Cory smiled. "I'd like you to meet Detective Danny Messer from the NYPD. Danny, this is Timothy O'Reilly, the ADA in charge of prosecuting Ortiz."

The men shook hands and then Mr. O'Reilly turned back to his table to continue his preparations. Cory and Danny sat down behind him, in the front row. Danny leaned over to Cory and whispered, "Are you sure he's the best man for the job? He looks really young."

Cory laughed. "Remember Tony Montebello, the hit man for the Cardinelli Crime Family?" Danny nodded yes. "Who do you think was responsible for putting him away? O'Reilly managed to get the jury to convict him of three counts of Murder One and now he's in Sing-Sing serving twenty-five to life with no parole."

Danny's opinion of the man raised a hundred fold. The Cardinelli Crime Family was one of the most brutal family's of the Italian Mafia. If O'Reilly had convicted Montebello then he was the best man for the job.

Danny didn't have a chance to say anything else as the trial got underway.

"All Rise! This is the Case number 45-674837; the United States verses Carlos Ortiz on three counts of Murder One. The Honorable Judge William Owens, presiding."

The entire court room stood as the judge walked in. After he had sat down, the rest of the courtroom sat down. "Be seated, thank you. I trust that both the prosecution and defense is ready to begin."

Both of the attorney's nodded their heads.

Once the courtroom had settled down, Judge Owens motioned for O'Reilly to begin is opening arguments.

O'Reilly got up and stood in front of the jury. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, you have hard task ahead of you. I will not lie to you and say that this trial will be easy on your mind. The defendant, Carlos Ortiz, is accused of the brutal murders of three men. Special Agent James Hogan, from the FBI, Michael Hogan and Armando De La Cruz. The murders were committed in a brutal and premeditated fashion. All three men were tortured, before being shot. Then the defendant watched and waited for the men to die, slowly bleeding to death."

O'Reilly began to pace in front of the jury, his tone forceful. "Multiple times, Mr. Ortiz had the ability to change the outcome of these deaths. We must ask why he committed these murders. For the murder of James Hogan, his reasoning was that Agent Hogan was going to marry the woman that Ortiz believed to be his. So the night before the wedding, he chose to end Agent Hogan's life.

"For the other two murders, his reasoning was that the men were betraying him. All they were doing was trying to collect evidence to prove his involvement into the murder of Agent Hogan."

Cory closed her eyes, gripping Danny's hand as the emotion washed over her. She was glad that he was there in order to support her. O'Reilly continued his monologue, keeping his tone that of a person that was in charge. She had to give him credit. He used all of the legal speak, but in a way that the jury would have no problems in understanding.

Finally, after close to an hour, he began to close his remarks. "Finally, Ladies and Gentlemen, I ask you to consider all of the evidence that is presented. The state stands behind our stance that his man is guilty on all charges and we trust you to make the correct decision. Thank you." O'Reilly sat back down to allow the defense to make their opening remarks.

The defense attorney, Elizabeth Marquez, began her opening remarks. Cory felt nauseous as she started to paint Ortiz in a 'poor orphan' manner. Finally, the opening remarks were done and the judge decided to take a two hour recess for lunch.

Cory and Danny left the courtroom and tried to avoid the press covering the case. Cory saw O'Reilly completely ignore the cameras as he left the courthouse. She looked at Danny. "Are you hungry?"

Danny laughed. "I'm always hungry. What did you have in mind?"

Cory smirked. "There's a great little hamburger joint down here, Billy Miner's. They have the absolute best hamburgers."

Danny nodded. "Sounds good."

Cory nodded and walked outside. Danny was confused when Cory walked past the garage where the car was parked. She saw his confusion and laughed. "Come on. It's only about four blocks from here. It won't hurt us to walk."

Fifteen minutes later, they were both sitting at a table after ordering their burgers. Danny looked around. "This is so different from New York. I feel so out of place."

Cory smiled. "You look fine, but with our accent, you sound out of place."

Danny looked a little self-conscious. "I don't get the people here. I mean in New York, you don't look at anyone when you're walking by. Here, people smile, say hello. It's just weird. I do have a question. Why is the trial being held in Fort Worth and not Dallas?"

"James was killed in Tarrant County. The Hogan's are very well connected in the local government, so they pushed for the trial to be held here."

They were interrupted as their burgers were delivered. Cory showed Danny were the condiment bar was and they made their burgers to order. After they were done eating, they decided to walk around Sundance Square.

While they were walking around, Cory suddenly stopped and dragged Danny into a store. "I have to get a Jamba Juice while I'm down here! Do you want something?"

"What is it?"

"They are smoothies and stuff like that."

Danny just shook his head. "Nope. I'm good."

Cory got up to the counter. "I'd like a Mango-A-Go-Go with an energy boost, please."

Danny watched in fascination while her drink was made. Cory had a look of bliss on her face as she took the first sip. "Is that good, Feebie?"

"It's great. I've missed these since I've been gone!" They left the café and began to wander around downtown Fort Worth. Finally, Cory noticed the time and realized that it was time to go back.

Cory and Danny got back to the courthouse and resumed their seats in the front row. O'Reilly nodded at Cory when she sat down. She had the trial schedule memorized and realized that the testimony of the agents that found James was going to start. _"This is going to be a long afternoon."_ Cory sighed at the thought of the pain she was about to relive.

(4pm)

Cory almost groaned when she stood after the judge had dismissed them for the day. She was in pain, both emotional and physical. She rolled her neck, trying to relieve the tension of sitting in one position so long. She held Danny's hand as the walked out of the courthouse and to her car.

Wisely, Danny kept silent, letting her process her emotions. "Danny? Thank you for being here. I don't know if I would have been able to handle this if you hadn't been."

"_Bella, ti amo._ It was my place to be here. That's why I took the time off. I knew that you needed me."

Cory smiled tiredly. "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

Danny licked the corner of his mouth. "You got shot at. If it hadn't been for that, we never would have met. Come on, let's go back to your house and try to unwind."

(Cory's house)

When they got back to Cory's house, Danny looked at how drained she was. "Listen. How 'bout I cook you dinner. Then we can go swimming and try to relax."

"That sounds good. Let me get changed. Just don't blow up my kitchen, kay." Cory was walking to the bedroom when her cell phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID she realized it was Lindsay. "Reid."

"_Hey, Cory! How are you and Danny doing?"_

"It's good. The first day of the trial was today and I am completely wiped out. Danny said he would cook me dinner and then we are going to go swimming. Oh! That reminds me. Y'all are coming in on Saturday, right?"

"_Yeah."_

"Can you tell everyone to bring their swimsuits? I have a heated pool and I thought it would be nice if everyone came over."

"_You have a heated pool? Sure, I'll tell everyone. I was just calling to make sure you were okay. Obviously, Danny is taking good care of you. Hold on."_ Cory waited while Lindsay put her on hold. _"Cory? I have to go. My DNA results are back. Just to let you know, our flight lands at 10 am on Saturday."_

"Okay, Linds. I'll see y'all then." She hung up the phone and finished getting ready.

When she walked back into the kitchen, the room was filled with the scent of Italian spices. Cory smiled and walked up to Danny to see if there was anything that she could do to help.

**A/N:**

_the little corinthian- I love the visual of Danny on a horse! I completely understood where you are coming from, I've been having that debate with myself ever since I started to think about the end__. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to stick with my plan for the story, so that will make it easier to write. _

_aphina- I'm sorry I brought you down! But it was put in there as a reminder to everyone that hard choices are coming up for the pair. I loved the title when Axellia mentioned it to me! I couldn't get the visual out of my head for days!_

_chili-peppers- I'm glad the mental image of Danny on a horse was so entertaining for everyone! You can write like this...It just takes practice! (And since I'm a huge bibliophile, it doesn't hurt to read A LOT of books!)_

_screaming-poetically- To lazy to log in? Loved that. We get ice in the winter occasionally, but when it does...the city shuts down. We are just not equipped to handle it! I'm with you on getting used to the weather. Right now, I'm like 99 degrees! What did we get a cool front? (To give you an idea, it was 105 yesterday and 98 at 9pm last night). Of course Danny will be Flack's best man! Who else? I promise that the wedding will be very special. Nope to the DL angst at the wedding (Danny will still be in love with Cory at that point)._

_pnkrckprncss- She's from Texas, so she loves to ride (in every sense of the word!). The trial will be over by chapter 48 (I have some good fluff in there) and the story (unless something major happens) will be a total of 51 chapters. I do have some other things I'll be working on (including the sequel to this) so I promise you'll get updates on something from me! As per whether or not she moves...you'll just have to find out! That is planned to be revealed in 49._

_stargazr- I completely and totally agree! I just need to see that image for real! Granted, my mind can perfectly picture it, but seeing it for real--priceless!_

_axellia- Glad you were able to wipe the tears away. I loved that part of the letter, too. Yes, Nicole is based a little on princessg...Glad you liked the chapter title! Why did everyone forget about the mounted officers? They have been in the show! Flack will propose to you (wink)...Just let your mind wander! I'm glad they did get married at the courthouse either, they deserve more! Danny accepts your hug (and then directs you to Flack to get the return hug, otherwise Cory will kill him!). It's definately a Southern saying! Now that you are back in the gutter, there is a great 3 bedroom house available for sale on my block. Would you like me to put a good word in for you? As for the brakes...It was meant to make everyone laugh...It's just a great mental image. I love thunderstorms, so that was easy for me to right (my sister is terrified of thunderstorms, so I had to be the brave one). Glad I could bring back memories. I hope I gave you plenty to think about while making boxes!_


	44. Badgering the Witness

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Okay, the trial continues! This is kinda a short chapter, but my muse felt it was necessary! Hope y'all enjoy! As always, please, please, please R&R! My muse loves the attention! And thank you to Screaming-Poetically for Tim, the ADA-obviously I don't own him:D_

Chapter 44.

**Badgering the Witness**

Cory was nervous when she walked into the courtroom on Friday. This was her day to testify.

Danny picked up on her tension and looked down at her. "Are you going to be okay with testifying?"

Cory nodded her head. "I think so. I'm worried. It took me almost seven years to tell someone the whole story and now I have to tell a courtroom full of people." Cory shivered slightly.

Danny put his arm around her for comfort. He knew that she had refused to even look at Ortiz this week and now she was going to have to relieve the horror that she had been through. "I think that you'll do fine. Just realize that I am here for you."

Cory smiled, feeling relief at that thought. "Thanks, _cherie_. That helps more than you know."

Both sat down and waited for the trial to resume.

(Cory's testimony)

It was close to 11 am before Cory took the stand. She stood in the box while the bailiff came over to her.

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you, God?"

"I do." Cory sat down.

Timothy O'Reilly came over to her. "Agent Reid. Will you please describe your relationship with the defendant?"

Cory drew a breath and proceeded to go over her history.

When O'Reilly had finished questioning her, the judge called a recess for lunch.

After lunch, the trial resumed with the cross examination from the defense.

The defense attorney, Elizabeth Marquez, had a smirk on her face as she began to question Cory.

"So, Agent Reid. How intimate was your relationship with the accused?"

Cory looked puzzled. "We were friends in high school. We got drunk one time and slept together. That was the extent of our relationship."

Elizabeth drew her eyebrows together. "Really? Isn't it true that you were in love with Carlos?"

"No. I liked him as a friend but that was the extent of my feelings."

"Okay. What did you talk with him about when you met him after college?"

"I'm sorry, what are you talking about?" Cory was confused.

"You met Carlos the summer after you graduated college. What did you talk about?"

Cory was confused about the relevance of that question since she had covered that with O'Reilly's questioning. O'Reilly was also confused. "Objection. The defense is asking questions that have already been answered. What is the relevance?"

"Sustained," said Judge Owens as he looked at Elizabeth. "Ms. Marquez, you are cautioned to show some relevance or drop this line of questioning."

"Trust me, Your Honor, I am about to show relevance." Elizabeth turned back to Cory.

"Agent Reid. Did you or did you not tell Carlos Ortiz when you met him before you became an FBI agent that you would do what you could to help him out?"

"What do you mean by help him out?"

"I mean that you would protect him from FBI probes."

"No, that's not true. How…"

Elizabeth cut her off. "You mean you don't remember that conversation?"

Cory felt her anger rising. "How can I recall a conversation that didn't happen?"

"So your memory if faulty?" Elizabeth was throwing the questions at Cory at a high rate of speed.

"Objection. Your honor, the defense is badgering the witness."

"Sustained. Counselor, do you have a point?"

"I do, Your Honor. I have a tape of the witness offering to help the defendant out with the FBI, Your Honor." Elizabeth picked up a tape recorder from the defenses' table.

"Objection, Your Honor. The defense has not made us aware of this bit of evidence."

Judge Owens narrowed his eyes at the defense. "Is this true, Counselor? I move to strike the evidence until the prosecution has had a chance to review it."

Elizabeth looked a little upset at that. "Fine. Let's move on to when you captured Ortiz. You stated that you allowed yourself to be captured by him. Why?"

Cory looked at her. "I knew that Ortiz had kidnapped Detective Messer. When Ortiz called me to meet him alone, I knew that this was my one chance to make sure that Detective Messer survived the experience."

"Why not call for backup?"

"Ortiz said that if I did not come alone, he would kill the detective. I felt that the risk was too great to endanger his life."

"How did you overcome Ortiz?"

"We were in the living room where Ortiz was about to kill the detective, when the guards were distracted by something." Cory was very careful not to mention ghosts. "I grabbed a knife that I had hidden in my boot and kicked the guard that was watching me."

"You just kicked him, you didn't do anything else?"

Cory laughed softly. "I didn't need to do anything else. I was wearing steel-toed boots and I kicked him in the groin. He dropped like a sack of potatoes."

Cory noticed that the courtroom chuckled at her bland statement. Elizabeth also noticed this and frowned at the loss of support for her side. She decided to change tactics.

"Tell me about the night that James Hogan was killed."

"What's there to tell?"

Judge Owens looked at Cory. "Agent Reid, I remind you that you are under oath."

"Sorry, Your Honor. I was contacted around 10 pm by James' supervisor. I knew that something bad had happened. That's all I know. I was not involved in processing the crime scene, since I was his fiancée."

"Isn't it true that you were relieved that he was dead?"

Cory felt all of the blood drain from her face. "What? No! I loved James. Why would I want him dead?"

"Isn't it true that Agent Hogan had just put you as the beneficiary on all of his financial documents? Did you or did you not inherit a great deal of money from him?"

"We were getting married. Of course I was his beneficiary. Just like he was my beneficiary."

"How much did you inherit?"

O'Reilly was fed up with the defense. He jumped up. "Objection! What is the relevance?"

"Sustained."

Elizabeth looked at the judge. "Your Honor, I am establishing a motive for Agent Reid to have ordered Ortiz to kill Agent Hogan."

Danny felt himself begin to jump up at the accusation, and then he saw the look in Cory's eyes. _"Oh, shit. That stupid defense attorney is in for it!"_

Cory channeled her anger. She felt her eyes grow cold. "Really? Why would I want to kill the man I was going to marry?"

"For money. The oldest reason in the world. So I ask you, how much did you inherit?"

"Objection!"

Judge Owens looked curious. "Overruled. Answer the question."

"4.2 million dollars."

Elizabeth smiled in triumph. "No more questions."

Judge Owens looked at O'Reilly. "Redirect?"

"Yes, Your Honor. I just have one question. Agent Reid, what did you do with the money you inherited from Agent Hogan?"

Cory looked at O'Reilly in relief. "I didn't need the money so I gave it all to charity. Half went to the Red Cross and the other half when to charities that helps to keep children out of gangs."

"Thank you, Agent Reid."

Judge Owens looked at her. "Thank you. You may step down. I call a recess until 9 am Monday morning. This will give the prosecution the weekend to look over the new evidence."

Cory stalked out of the courtroom. When Danny caught up to her, she looked ready to explode. "_Bella? _Let's go home."

Cory just nodded. When she got in the car, she was muttering under her breath in French. _"Chienne stupide! Pourquoi l'enfer essayerait-elle de traîner mon nommé... MON NOMME... par la boue? Pense-t-elle vraiment que ceci descendra de son âne stupide d'un client? Comment l'enfer a-t-elle osé dire cela au sujet de moi?"_

Danny listened to her tirade, smiling. Some of the words were similar enough to Italian that he had an idea of what she was saying.

"_Bella,_ while it is very sexy when you speak French, I would love to know what you are saying!"

Cory laughed as Danny broke the tension. "Sorry. It's a habit. Since there are not a lot of people that speak French in Texas, I trained myself to curse in French, so no one would know what I was saying. I was just saying how the defense attorney was stupid for trying to drag my name through the mud."

Danny smirked. "I kinda picked up on that. What do you want to do tonight?"

"I definitely do not want to go out! How about pizza and beer and we can hang out in my game room? We can watch movies and maybe play pool."

"Sounds like a plan."

(Cory's house)

Cory had calmed down quite a bit after the pizza and wine that her and Danny had eaten. She walked into the game room and began to rack up the pool table. "Eight ball or nine ball?"

Danny watched in fascination as Cory began to set up the table. "Um. Eight ball." As Cory racked up the balls, in tournament formation, Danny looked on in shock. "How do you know how to do that?"

"What? Set up a tournament rack? I used to play a lot. I'm not as good as I used to be, but I still have some game. Do you want to break?"

Danny nodded yes, picked up a pool cue and broke the rack. He sunk both the 3 and the 14 ball on the break. Danny chose to play stripes.

"Okay. I'm Skittles." Cory smirked as she said that.

"You're what?"

"Skittles. You know, solids? It's a slang term for solids."

"Oh. And here I thought that it was just a candy."

Cory rolled her eyes. "Just shoot."

Danny leaned over the table and took a shot at the 15 ball. It just kissed the corner of the pocket but didn't go in.

"My turn!" Cory's eyes were twinkling as she leaned over the table. She cleanly shot the 6 ball in the pocket. She took a look at the table and decided to shoot a 4-2 combo. Both balls went in.

Danny looked on in shock. _"Damn, she's good! I've got to have her play Flack. I've never seen him lose."_

She missed the next shot at the 1 ball and it was Danny's turn. He quickly sunk the 9, 11 and 10 balls in that order. He decided to go for a difficult shot at the 12 ball, which was behind the 8 ball. He missed.

Cory smiled as she quickly cleared the table. "Eight ball, side pocket." Danny shook his head as she quickly sunk the ball.

Danny laughed. "Best two outta three?"

Several hours and six games of pool later, Danny conceded. "Okay. I give. You beat me four out of seven games! I definitely have to have you play Flack. You may be the one person that can beat him."

"Really? Flack plays pool? I love a challenge." Cory got a serious look on her face. "Danny? Thanks for taking my mind off of the trial today. I really needed that."

"No problem. Nothing's too good for my girl."

Cory blushed. "I'm your girl?"

Danny drew Cory to him. "Yeah. _Ti amo, bella. Ti amo con tutto il mio cuore. Desidero che ho avuto il coraggio chiedervi di sposarlo."_ Danny lowered his head and kissed her.

**A/N:**

_Translation of the French…_

_Stupid bitch! Why the hell would she try to drag my name...MY NAME...through the mud? Does she really think that this will get her stupid ass of a client off? How the hell did she dare to say that about me?_

_Translation of the Italian._

_I love you, beautiful. I love you with all my heart. I wish I had the courage to ask you to marry me._

_chili-peppers- Diolch! I'm glad you are beginning to think of her as canon...It's been an experience writing her (maybe someone from CBS will read this and I'll have a new job! Okay...I'm done dreaming now...) I think that her and Lindsay initially bonded over the fact they were both from out of state, but I love the fact that they are friends!_

_pnkrckprncss- Don't worry, the end is coming soon (at least for now). I have the final chapters planned out. There will be 51 total. I'm also writing a DL fic right now (that's going slow, since I'm putting so much energy into this!) The New York crew will be in town for chapters 45 and 46. Patience is something that you have to learn a little at a time (I'm probably one of the most patient people until you piss me off, then all bets are off!). I wish I spoke more French (I only remember a couple of cuss words in French, so I can't curse at myself)._

_screaming-poetically- Glad you liked the non-canon character (and who was it that gave me SO MUCH information on him:D) I hope I did him justice in this chapter (I remembered you said that he likes to argue.) There definately will be that underlying angst of will she move or not for a couple of chapters. I do already now what the decision in, so I hope everyone is happy with what my muse decided!_

_the little corinthian- Glad you like that mental image. None of them are ugly! I don't remember who much I went into how they looked, so your imagination will just have to work overtime on that one! (Would you like to join me in the gutter?)_


	45. Welcome to Texas

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Okay, here's some more fluff! As always, please, please, please R&R! My muse loves the attention! _

Chapter 45.

**Welcome to Texas**

When Danny woke up the next morning, Cory was not beside him. He got out of bed slowly then walked around the house to see if she was in there. He found her in the kitchen. _"Bella?_ Why are you up?"

Cory looked up from the list she was writing on the counter. "Hey, baby. I'm writing a store list. Everyone is coming into town today, so I want to have a get together here. To do that, I need to get supplies."

"How long have you been up?"

"I got up about seven, so about two hours. Do you want to go to the store with me?"

Danny got a look of his face that clearly said that going to the grocery store was not a thing that he wanted to do. "Do I have to?"

Cory rolled her eyes, with a smile on her face. "Nope. I am capable of going to the store on my own. How 'bout this. I'll go to the store and you hang out in my game room. Just don't break into my liquor cabinet!"

Danny nodded his agreement and Cory left.

A couple of hours later, Cory was back from the store. Danny looked on in shock as the amount of groceries that she had bought. "Are you planning on feeding an army?"

"No. I figured that everyone would be here for lunch and dinner, plus snacks…It's a lot of food!"

"So what's for lunch?"

Cory laughed. "Always thinking with your stomach. I got steaks and chicken for the grill. I'm going to bake potatoes on the coals and of course I have vegetables! For now, just munch on something. Oh. Nicole and Henry should be here soon. She's going to help me get everything ready."

Just as Cory finished her statement, she heard the front door open. With a smile, she called out, "Friend or Foe?"

"What do you want me to be today?" Nicole called out from the living room.

Cory giggled. "Friend!"

Nicole walked into the kitchen. "Hey, Danny. Then that's what I'll be today. I am at your service. Whatcha want me to do?"

Cory refrained from answering as she saw Henry walk in behind Nicole. "Henry, why don't you and Danny go into the game room?"

Danny walked over giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Wanna get rid of me already?"

Cory rolled her eyes. "Do you want to work or play?"

Danny opened his eyes wide. "Oh, definitely play. I'll leave you lovely ladies alone to work wonders in the kitchen."

Danny and Henry walked out of the kitchen. Nicole looked at her. "What time will everyone be here?"

"Well, their plane was supposed to land at 10am. Lindsay called me about 10:30 when they actually landed. I told her to have everyone here about two. So we have two hours to get everything ready. Remind me to start the grill in about thirty minutes."

Cory went over to her cabinets and pulled out four platters. She set them on the counter. "Let's see. I want one platter of meats, one of cheeses, one of veggies and one of fruit. What do you want to make?"

Nicole scrunched her nose as she thought about it. "I'll take the meat and the cheese. I just can't make the veggie or the fruit trays as pretty as you can!"

Cory rolled her eyes. "Whatever! But, I'll do it."

Thirty minutes later, they were almost finished. Cory took a break and went to light both of her grills. She had a huge grill that she was going to cook the meat on. The small grill that she had used when she cooked for Danny was going to be used to cook the potatoes. Once the goals were going, she walked back in to the kitchen.

Nicole had finished her trays and had begun to open the bags of chips. Cory finished the fruit tray that she was working on and put it in the fridge.

"Nic? Will you make the salsa while I make the cream cheese dip?"

Nicole smiled. "Of course. I love making salsa."

The women continued to putter around the kitchen, finishing their preparations. Finally about 1 pm they were done. Cory prepared the potatoes to be baked and wrapped them in foil. She went outside and put them on the coals to bake.

Then they joined the guys in the game room. Cory however, did not stop working. She walked over to the bar, to make sure that it was fully stocked with liquors and mixers. Satisfied with what she found, she finally sat down.

"_Bella?_ What time is everyone coming over? I'm hungry!"

"When are you not hungry? They'll be here in about an hour."

An hour later, the doorbell rang, much to Danny's delight. Cory was giggling as she opened the door. "Hey guys!"

Lindsay grabbed Cory in a hug. "Your house is amazing!"

Stella was next. Her hug was a bit more subdued than Lindsay's but none the less warm. "She's right, the house is gorgeous."

Flack, Mac and Hawkes all gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

She led everyone into the game room and quickly introductions were made. Cory looked at everyone. "So is everyone hungry?" At their nods yes, both Nicole and Cory left the room to put the meat on the grill to cook.

Stella and Lindsay followed them. Lindsay looked out at her backyard. "This is amazing. I love your yard. Your pool is huge!"

Cory smiled. "Thanks. It's my one indulgence. Y'all did bring your swimsuits, right?"

Stella looked at Cory. "I brought it, but I have to say, I'm really not sure about the swimming thing."

Cory smiled. "Look. It's fairly warm today and my pool is heated. You'll be fine."

Cory finished putting the meat on and then turned to the women. "I'm going to change, anyone else want to?" All the women agreed and went to change. Cory was wearing the purple bikini, Lindsay a green bikini, Nicole a black bikini and Stella a red bikini. Cory looked at Stella in surprise. "Wow, Stella! You look amazing!"

Each woman put on shorts and a T-shirt on over the suits. Cory went back outside to check and turn the meat.

Thirty minutes later, the meat was done and Cory called everyone outside to eat. "You have your choice of steak or chicken."

Everyone grabbed plates and loaded up on food.

After they were done eating, they sat around a little before everyone decided to swim. Cory and Nicole were the first to jump in. Flack and Hawkes looked on in interest as they began to disrobe, revealing their swimsuits. Flack leaned over to Danny and whispered into his ear, "Dude. She's hot! You are so lucky."

While Flack was making that statement, Lindsay decided to jump in too. "You're one to talk, man." Danny nodded with his head and watched Flack's jaw drop as he saw Lindsay's suit. "Damn."

Mac couldn't keep his eyes off Stella as she revealed her swimsuit. Both Cory and Lindsay saw the look on his face and giggled. Lindsay looked at Cory. "He has it so bad! I wonder if he'll ever break down and ask her out."

Cory shrugged. "I don't know. I hope so, for both of their sanity." Both women decided to change the topic as Stella swam over to them. "Cory. This is so amazing."

"What can I say? I love to swim, so I get to swim a lot with the pool. The only time I don't swim is when it's raining or when it's really cold outside. The cold part is like two days out of the year."

Stella and Lindsay laughed. Nicole swam over to them, just as the men came out of the house, dressed in their swimming trunks. "So. How do y'all work with such hot men around?"

Lindsay laughed. "It can be a little distracting! But we've learned to ignore it for the most part."

Nicole raised her eyebrows. "Really." She was about to say more when both Flack and Danny did cannonballs into the pool, soaking them. That set off a huge splashing war that the girls won.

"We give! We give!" both of the men shouted.

"That's what I thought! Don't mess with us." Stella was laughing as she said that. "We will always beat you at this."

Everyone laughed and calmed down to do some serious relaxing.

(7 pm)

After an afternoon of swimming, the group was tired. When they were walking back in, Flack turned to Cory. "I saw your pool table. You play?"

Cory smirked. "A little. I'm not very good." Both Danny and Nicole shot Cory looks at that statement. Danny's look was one of confusion, but Nicole's was one of conspiracy.

"Really? Maybe we can play a game?"

"Sure. You can rack them up."

Cory watched as Flack racked them up. He broke them and called solids. Cory watched on as Flack sunk three balls consecutively.

Flack looked at Cory. _"I'll give her a chance at least. I know I could clear the table now, but what the hell."_ He tried a nearly impossible shot and groaned as the ball just kissed the corner pocket.

Cory smiled. She knew what he had done, going for that shot. _"Hum. He's trying to throw me a bone. He could have easily cleared the table. I guess I'll get to show him something."_

Cory had the smirk back on her face as she leaned over the table. Flack watched in amazement as she quickly cleared the table and then sunk the eight ball.

Flack looked at her. "What the hell was that? I thought you said you weren't any good?"

Cory winked at him. "So I lied. Danny told me that you never lose when you are playing and I have to admit, it was too good of a challenge to pass up."

Flack turned to Danny as the rest of the group laughed. "You knew about this, Messer?"

Danny held up his hands. "I had no idea that she was planning on playin' ya until she said that she wasn't good. I have to admit, it was fun to see you lose. Besides, she beat me four out of seven games."

"Sorry, Flack. I had to. By the way, when you rack 'em up on my pool table, make sure you do it right."

Flack drew his eyebrows together. "What do you mean? I racked 'em right!"

Cory rolled her eyes. "Nope. Let me show you how to really rack them."

Cory turned to the table and quickly had a tournament rack set up. "This is how the balls are supposed to be racked. When ever we play, they need to be racked like this. Do you want a rematch?"

"Of course! You can break."

A couple of hours later, Flack sighed. "Okay! You win! You are really good. I've never lost so many games! How?"

Cory smiled and decided to go easy on him. "First, I used to play on the on the juvenile circuit. Second, I keep in practice. I'll teach you."

The group watched as Cory set up the pool table. She took two balls at a time and placed them, barely touching each other, in a straight line in front of each pocket. The final three balls, she placed where the rack normally goes in a triangle. "It's called fifteen balls in fifteen shots. The break doesn't count. Watch and learn."

Cory broke the balls and managed to sink two balls on the break. "Nic? Will you keep count?"

Nicole nodded. "Sure." She counted off the shots as Cory sank ball after ball. Finally, she lined up the final shot. Cory banked the ball into the corner pocket as Nicole said, "Eleven."

Cory smiled. "I'm off a little. Usually, I do it in ten. Let me set it up for you and you can try. It's not as easy as it looks."

Flack got a smug look on his face. "We'll see about that."

Cory kept count as Flack sank the balls. "Final count. Eighteen."

Flack shook his head. "I don't get it."

"Flack? Don't beat yourself up over this. It takes a lot of practice."

"Practice, huh? Let me try again."

Cory nodded, set up the table again and turned to spend some much needed time with her friends.

**A/N:**

_john-the-geek- Glad you liked the image of Danny on a horse. If he spends a whole lotta time in Texas, he definately learn how to treat Cory right! Of course I've written more chapters! I'll upload them when it's time! ( :-p ) I'm glad I could take you down memory lane!---As I said before, great insight to why she curses in French (she is a paradox!). I still hold by the rule that when you cuss in French it doesn't sound like you are cussing at all! (lol) Glad you've kept up. :D_

_the little corinthian- My mind was down there so much that I decided to buy a house in the gutter! Cool idea for a part...I know just who to invite (Let's see, Danny, Flack, Greg, Nick, Eric (Miami), Martin (WaT), Danny (WaT), Charlie (Numb3rs), Don (Numb3rs)...the list just goes on and on!). I was a little shocked with the down right dirtiness that the defense displayed when I wrote it...Have no clue where that idea came from! Glad you like and I hope that you got some sleep!_

_chili-peppers- My muse thanks you! She does have a lot of self control (until she walked out of the courtroom). Hopefully there will be a lot less drama for her in the future! Don't worry about the chapter's. I'm updated fairly regularly right now since I'm almost finished writing it!_

_pnkrckprncss- My evil defense attorney was a hit! Yeah! (Don't worry-she'll get what's coming to her)...Italian is very romantic, but still not as romantic as French-there is a reason they call it the language of love!_

_screaming-poetically- I'm glad I did Tim justice! I'm glad you liked it...Everyone seemed to hate the defense attorney (which was the point!). That's the reason that I can't cuss in Spanish here. Everyone speaks Spanish here! And I agree, you are amazing to have come up with this amazing character!_


	46. Fabricating Evidence

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Hope y'all enjoyed the fluff….It's back to the trial now! This is a short, but necessary chapter! I am actually posting this early (I hadn't planned on posting this until tomorrow) but seeing as I forgot that I'll be out of town this weekend and not have access to the internet very much, I'm posting it early. I'll try to post another chapter on either Saturday or Sunday (I'll be at my parent's house that night, so I'll have an internet connection), but if things change, it will be late Sunday night before I get a chance to update with chapter 47. I'm also going to use this weekend to finish the final chapter and work on the DL story that I am writing, so I might be able to begin to post that as soon as next week! As always, please, please, please R&R! My muse loves the attention! _

Chapter 46.

**Fabricating Evidence**

The whole team decided to get to the courthouse early on Monday morning. As a result, they arrived a little before eight in the morning. Cory showed everyone the courtroom and as soon as O'Reilly came in, she introduced them.

Mac looked pleased when he was introduced. "Counselor O'Reilly. Pleasure to meet you. I watched the Tony Montebello case and you were extremely efficient. Good job at putting him away."

O'Reilly smiled. "Thank you. It was very satisfying to see him behind bars. I'm looking forward to hearing all y'all's testimony."

They decided to take the extra time and go over everyone's testimony one more time. Cory looked at O'Reilly. "Counselor? I'd like to ask you a question. What did y'all find on the supposed tape?"

O'Reilly grinned like the Cheshire cat. "It's a complete forgery. I can't wait to show it to the judge."

(9 am)

The team settled on the first row behind the prosecution after Judge Owens came in.

"Court is now in session. I trust that the weekend was long enough for the prosecution to go over the evidence?"

O'Reilly stood up. "Yes, Your Honor. My forensics team discovered that the tape could not have been genuine. There were discrepancies in the background noise. If you like, I will demonstrate." Judge Owens motioned for him to continue.

"As you can see, we have broken up the tape into five parts. The first part has the background noise normal to that in an office. This next section has parts showing similarities to being in a car. The other three sections all have different outside background noises." He put a tape player on the table in front of him. "Here is the tape played without the actual words, just with the background noise." He hit play and the courtroom was shocked to here the backgrounds change so much during the thirty second tape.

Judge Owens got a stony look on his face. He turned his gaze to the defense table. "Ms. Marquez. Did you even examine the tape for authenticity before trying to present it as evidence?" She did not respond, but a blush crept up her cheeks. "I will give you one warning. If you are found fabricating evidence again, I will have you disbarred. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Your Honor."

"Now, did you have any more questions for Special Agent Reid?"

"No, Your Honor."

"Fine. Prosecution, you may call your next witness."

Timothy O'Reilly stood up. "The prosecution calls Detective Mac Taylor to the stand."

Mac stood up and walked to the stand. He sat down after swearing to tell the truth.

"Detective Taylor, can you please describe to me how you and your team became acquainted with Special Agent Reid?"

Mac went through his testimony, leaving nothing out. The defense did not have any cross examinations questions for him.

Both Danny and Flack's testimonies went just as smooth before lunch. When the judge called the recess for lunch, Cory was relieved. Hearing about the different cases over was wearing heavily on her nerves. Her only consolation was that this part of the trial would be over soon. From the list of witnesses that she had seen for the defense, their testimony was going to take at least two weeks.

She walked up to Stella and Lindsay. "How would y'all like to go shopping for lunch?"

Both women agreed and they left the men to their own devices. Cory took them to the main street, to wander the shops there. Both women were impressed with the variety of stores.

While Stella was in a store that sold Texas based products, Cory pulled Lindsay aside. "Linds. When are you going to tell everyone about you and Flack? It's killing me trying not to let something slip to Danny."

Lindsay smiled. "I don't know. We've decided to push back the wedding to next summer, and I still haven't told my family. I promise that I will tell everyone as soon as I tell my family. It's just nice, ya know. Keeping it a secret."

Cory rolled her eyes. "Okay. Mum's the word. If I slip and tell Danny, it's all your fault though." Cory stopped talking as she saw Stella walk out of the store with a Stetson on her head. "Oh my. She looks pretty good in that."

Lindsay turned around and laughed. "You're right. She does. Now we can all three wear our cowboy hats!"

Stella walked up to them. "Whadda ya think?"

Lindsay answered for the both of them. "It looks great on you."

"Thanks. I've been wanting to get one for a while, but they are so expensive in New York! I can't believe how much cheaper things are here!"

"Tell me about it. That's one good thing about living in the DFW metroplex. The cost of living is so much cheaper! If you ladies are done shopping, how 'bout we get a bite to eat? I'm starving."

Both women agreed with Cory and she led them to a small Italian café.

After lunch, the women proceeded back to the courthouse. They stopped at their cars to drop off their purchases.

Back in the courtroom all four men watched as the women walked back in talking and giggling. Danny looked at Flack. "This can't be good. Do ya think we were the main topic of conversation?"

Flack just nodded his head. "Gawd, I hope not."

Mac and Hawkes just shook their heads. "This," Hawkes declared, "Is why I am single. What is it with women? Why do they do everything together?"

All three men turned to Mac. "Why are you looking at me? I have no idea."

Flack smiled. "You've been married Mac. We thought that you might be able to provide some insight into the female psyche."

Mac looked at them in disbelief. "You think being married gives you an insight to the female psyche? You guys are in so much trouble."

The women walked up at that. Cory turned to Hawkes, Lindsay and Stella. "Are y'all ready to testify?"

All three shook their heads, but refrained from talking as the court was called order.

The afternoon went much as the morning had gone. All three of the CSI's testimonies were given very little cross examination. Finally five o'clock came and the court was in recess until the following day.

As the group walked out of the courtroom, Cory tried hard not to think about what was going to happen. Danny had to go home. He'd used his personal time and it was time for him to leave.

Cory felt her mood drop as she got in the car. "Hey, Danny?"

"Yeah?"

"When does your plane leave?"

"Midnight."

Cory nodded her head, trying to clamp down on her emotions. "Oh. Danny? I'm going to miss you. I…I love you. Thank you so much for being here for me this last week. I don't know if I could have made it through this without you."

Danny felt his emotions whelm up inside of him. Even with that, he managed to smile. "_Bella?_ If I've learned anything about you in the last eight months, it's that you are strong. I have no fear that you could have handled this on your own. I was just being selfish. I wanted to spend more time with you."

Cory smiled. "I want to spend time with you, too. I'm just not looking forward to you leaving. I wish you could stay here forever."

Danny laughed. "And I wish that you would come home with me, where you belong."

Cory felt emotion wash over her. She decided to break the tension and end the way the conversation was going. "'If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride.' That statement is so true Danny. We have to accept that our lives are leading us in different directions now. It's not fair, but it's life."

By this time, they were back at Cory's house. The both agreed just to make the most of the time they had left.

(10 pm)

The group walked into DFW Airport to begin their check-in process. After checked in, Flack and Lindsay walked over to a group of chairs in the terminal. They sat down and quietly began a discussion.

"Don, all I'm saying is that we should tell our families. Then we need to tell the team. I'm tired of keeping this in. I want people to know!"

Flack put his arm around Lindsay. "Babe, I know. I thought we agreed to tell everyone during the holidays. We'll tell our families during Thanksgiving and then the team during Christmas. I think we should stick with that plan. That way the trial is not distracting everyone."

Lindsay nodded. "You're right. It will give Danny some time to recover from losing Cory."

Flack looked thoughtful. "Do you think she'll move to New York?"

Lindsay sighed. "I have no clue. I know she loves him, but she is so gun-shy. It may take a grand gesture on Danny's part to get her to make a decision."

Flack looked down at her, with love in his eyes. "At least we don't have to worry about that!"

Both of them looked over to where Cory and Danny were sitting. They seemed to be in a deep discussion. Then they looked to where Hawkes, Mac and Stella were sitting. "You know something, Don"

"What?"

"Hawkes needs a woman."

Flack laughed. "I think he can manage on his own. I noticed that even though he doesn't date much, when he does, the women are gorgeous!"

Lindsay laughed. "Yeah, they are. What do you think he does to get them? Just say, 'Hi, I'm a doctor?' I still think that Mac and Stella need to let their guard down. Just say what they feel."

Flack looked down at her. "Why do you want to play matchmaker all the sudden?"

Lindsay bit her lip. "I think it's because I'm so happy." Flack just rolled his eyes.

Cory looked at her watch. "Well. It's almost time." Cory started to hum softly under her breath. _"So kiss me and smile for me/Tell me that you'll wait for me/Hold me like you'll never let me go….I'm a leaving, on a jet plane/I don't know when I'll be back again/Oh babe, I hate to go...__ "_

Danny sat motionless as she sang the song. Then the announcement for boarding came on. He just grabbed her and kissed her passionately. When he lifted his head, he looked deep into Cory's eyes. "Cory, _bella. Ciao, mi amore. Ti amo."_ He saw the tears come to her eyes, so he picked up his carryon bag and walked to go board the plane.

Cory watched as he left her sight. "Good-bye, my love. I'll never forget you."

**A/N:** _So if you didn't guess, the song is "Leaving on a Jet Plane"...I still don't own it...Damn._

_the little corinthian- How could I forget Warrick! D'Oh! (hitting my head with the palm of my hand). You're right, he has great eyes! Oh, Flack will keep practicing even when back in New York. He doesn't like losing and Cory kicked his butt! I'm sorry I had to bring everyone down with this mopey sadness!_

_john-the-geek- It's a rest both before and after the storm! If you lived in a pool, then you would be all wrinkly all of the time and then Cory would never give you the time day! Just don't turn into a prune and you'll be okay with her. The South has that way with turning people into gentlemen! I hope he keep's it up after he moves back to NY. Thank you for the compliment! I try to draw everyone into the story, so that they feel like they are part of it. Glad to know that it is working!_

_chili-peppers- Glad you like the fact that she kicks ass at pool...just don't ask her to bowl (she doesn't do that very well). There are a total of 51 chapters so, excluding this chapter there are five chapters I have left to post.( :( )Although, 51 is probably going to be long enough for two chapters, so it'll be a bonus. (Let's just say that I am writing 51 right now and am at almost 2000 words and I'm not even halfway done!) You will get your wish. I'm going to write a sequel, although since I'll be writing this as I start back to school, if I update once a week, that will be a lot._

_pnkrckprncss- Welcome to the gutter...You have many friends here, including my beta, princessg, Axellia, and The Little Corinthian...We are thinking about having a party...who do you want to invite? I hope that the final five chapter's are up to your standards!_


	47. Closing Arguments

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Thanks for patiently waiting...Okay. It's time to wrap the trial up! If you can't tell, the story is almost complete! The final chapter total is going to be 51. I do have an idea for a sequel, but it will not be written as quickly as this one was, since I start back to school on August 28. I do also have a DL fic in the works, so look for that soon after this one is complete! As always, please, please, please R&R! My muse loves the attention! _

Chapter 47.

**Closing Arguments**

It had been four weeks since Danny had left and Cory was in the midst of a deep depression. Nicole had tried to get her to go out, but she just sat at home. She couldn't even bring herself to swim; the memories of Danny and her in the pool were just too strong. Finally, the night before the closing arguments, Nicole came over and dragged her out of her house.

"Nic! I don't want to go. I just want to be by myself."

"Ain't gonna happen. I'm tired of seeing you pine yourself away for Danny. Either you are going to have to change the decision that you made or you are going to snap out of this depression! I'm more worried about you now than I was when James was killed. At least then you had a reason to live…revenge. We are going to _Cowboy's_ whether you like it or not! No arguments!"

"Fine! I'll get ready." Cory stormed out of her living room and into the bedroom. When she returned, she was wearing a pair of low-rise jeans, boots and a purple halter top. "What day is it?"

Nicole looked at her in disbelief. "It's Thursday, November 2. Since it's Thursday, they will be playing rock music after ten." Nicole watched as she grabbed her purse and they headed out the door.

Cory looked at Nicole when they got into her SUV. "Nic. Thanks. I'm sorry I was such a bitch."

Nicole smiled. "Sweetie, I know. You've been under enormous pressure and the situation with Danny is so not helping. You just need a night to unwind and recharge."

(Cowboy's)

Cory and Nicole walked into the bar slash dancehall. They were still playing country music, but Cory didn't mind. She was in the mood for country tonight. Nicole got her a drink and they decided to play pool for a little bit.

Nicole laughed when they were halfway through their first game. "Don't look now, but we are being checked out by two guys over there."

Cory just laughed. "Yeah, like we'll be interested. Maybe for free drinks!" Cory missed her shot and went back to her table to watch Nicole play.

"Hi, darlin'. Would you like to play me in pool?"

Cory mentally rolled her eyes at the man. She was feeling adventurous when she turned around, so she looked at him and his friend. "How 'bout we play teams. Guys against the girls. Loser buys a round."

The two men looked at each other and agreed. "Alright."

Cory turned to Nicole and said, "Hey, Nic. We're starting a new game. Guys against the girls. Loser buys drinks."

Nicole nodded. Cory turned back to the guys, "I'm Cory, she's Nicole."

The man who had approached her smiled. "I'm Matt and this is Josh." Matt was tall, probably about six-one. Josh was a little shorter, probably about five-eleven. Both were blonde and fairly good-looking.

Nicole put more money in the machine and looked at Cory. "You wanna rack?"

Cory smirked. "Yeah. They can break." Quickly she set up the rack and stood back as Matt broke. She watched him play and he was fairly good. Nicole and Cory also watched as he purposely missed at shot.

Nicole leaned over to her. "Clear the table, girl."

Cory giggled and proceeded to do just that. When she sunk the eight ball in a side pocket, she looked up at the astounded looks on the guy's faces. "I guess the first round is on you."

Matt grumbled good-naturedly and went to get the drinks.

Several hours passed and the guys had to ante up for another three rounds of drinks. The girls had won every game, with both Nicole and Cory clearing the table several times. The guys had just brought the third round back when the dance music started. Cory quickly downed the drink and made her way to the dance floor. Nicole and the guys joined her and she spent the next couple of hours lost in the music.

Finally, about midnight her and Nicole decided to go home. She rebuffed Matt's attempt to ask her out. When she got home, she just passed out on her bed.

(The next day)

Cory made it into the courtroom just before the trial began for the day. She knew that there were only a couple of witnesses left and then the closing arguments would begin following lunch.

Cory watched as the defense called their last witness. It was Ortiz's aunt, Marisol. Cory made sure that no expression crossed her face. She had never liked the woman who supposedly took Carlos in.

Two hours later, Cory's temper was shot. She was tired of hearing Ortiz's aunt talk. The worst part was that she was managing to win some sympathy with the jury, by saying how bad she treated him. _"Shit. It doesn't matter that he had two parents that loved him and taught him all the right things! No…she has to keep going on and on about she screwed up with him. Augh!"_

Finally the defense rested. Judge Owens looked at both attorneys. "If neither side has anything else to contribute?" At their nods no, he continued. "Court is in recess until two o'clock, when the closing arguments will begin."

Cory got up and jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned as saw Matthew and Marlene standing there. "Hey, guys. You came to the trial? I thought you said that you couldn't handle it."

Marlene drew Cory in for a hug. "We just had to be here for the closing arguments, just like we were for the opening arguments. How are you holding up?"

Cory grimaced. "I've been better. Do y'all want to have lunch?"

Marlene and Matthew smiled. Marlene said, "We have reservations at the Reata. We booked it for three, figuring that you would come with us."

Cory left with them, to go to the Reata, which was on Houston Street and not far from the courthouse.

(The Reata)

Cory and the Hogan's sat down in the luxurious dining room at the Reata. Cory looked over the menu. "What are y'all going to have?"

They looked over the lunch menu. All three decided to get the tortilla soup for an appetizer. Marlene and Cory decided to get the stacked chicken enchiladas while Matthew decided on the carne asada with the cheese enchiladas.

After they had ordered, Matthew looked at Cory.

Cory noticed an unusual look in his eyes. "What is it?"

Matthew drew in a breath. "You know that we love you like a daughter, right?" Cory nodded. "We came here so that we could have lunch with you. We have something to tell you."

Cory felt the blood drain from her face. All she could imagine was that it was something serious, like one of them was dying from cancer or something. "What?" Her voice was quiet.

Marlene seemed to pick up on her feeling. "Honey, it's nothing bad."

Matthew nodded his head. "No, it's very good, in fact. We wanted you to know that we have named you soul beneficiary of our estate when we die."

Cory felt her jaw drop in surprise. "Um…What? Why?"

The older couple laughed, gently. Marlene was the one to answer her. "Honey. Ortiz took both of our children away from us. We are only children and have no close relatives. We think of you like our daughter. It made the decision an easy one. We love you."

Cory felt tears come to her eyes. "I love y'all, too. You are definitely my second set of parents. I love my parents and all, but I have this special bond with y'all. I'm just so stunned!"

Cory became quiet as their appetizers were delivered.

(Back at the trial)

Cory sat quietly beside Marlene and Matthew as the judge called the court to order. She was holding Marlene's hand.

Judge Owens said, "The prosecution will have the floor first, for your closing remarks."

O'Reilly stood up. He cleared his throat and walked to stand in front of the jury. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, you have a serious task in front of you. You must look at the evidence that was presented and make a decision on whether or not the defendant, Carlos Ortiz, is guilty of the crimes that he is charged with."

O'Reilly began to pace in front of the jury. "You have seen the horrific tapes which show Ortiz committing these crimes. I am sure that the images from those tapes will haunt you, like they haunt me, until your death. Not only did he not show any mercy, he gloated over his ability to take life. You must ask yourself if you are willing to put such a person back on the street to continue his murderous ways. Those tapes show that Ortiz has no moral compass. He is a megalomaniacal person who believes that he is God. That was his reasoning for killing these people. He was unhappy with them. Please good people of the jury, think heavily on the decision that you are about to make. I ask you to provide justice to the families that he has destroyed with his God complex."

O'Reilly stopped pacing and made eye contact with every person on the jury. "Ignore what the defense has said about his rough upbringing. What the defense did not tell you that he had two loving parents for seventeen years of his life that strove to teach him right from wrong. He chose to ignore them. That was a choice that he made all by himself. I ask you to consider justice for the Hogan's, who lost both of their children to this man. Consider justice for the family of Armando De La Cruz, who corrupted his life to bring this man down. Consider justice for all of the victims that you know are out there, but we do not know about. That is what I charge you with, ladies and gentlemen. Consider your responsibility of bringing this man to justice and let justice be served! Thank you."

Cory watched O'Reilly as he sat down. She was close to cheering out loud at his words. He had managed to capture the essence of the trial in a few well chosen words and bold statements. She felt her heart swell in emotion. She could tell by the looks on the jurors faces that they to were thinking hard on the task that they had before them.

Judge Owens looked at Elizabeth Marquez. "Defense, you have the floor for your closing remarks."

Elizabeth Marquez stood up and walked in front of the jury. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, the prosecution makes some compelling remarks. I ask you to think with you heads and hearts. Do not let the prosecution's over pompous remarks sway you. From the evidence you can tell that Ortiz was not raised with a moral compass, contrary to what the prosecution states. His parents left him alone for long periods of time. As a result, they are responsible for making him the man that he is today. Yes, the evidence is damning, but in it you see a man whose world was ripped from him. The woman he was in love with, who professed to love him back, who told him that she would always be his, chose to marry another man out of the blue. He knew that she was being controlled by some other forces, rather than her own, and he broke her free of control. He found out he was being betrayed by a close friend and things got out of hand."

Marquez looked at Ortiz, still trying to drum up support for him from the jury. "Does the man sitting before you look like a megalomaniac? No. He is just an ordinary man who made some bad choices out of anger. I ask you to consider what you would have done if you had been in his shoes. How do you know that you would not have reacted the same way? I ask you, good people, consider what you would have done in his shoes. Thank you." Marquez sat back down.

Judge Owens looked at the jury. "People of the jury. I remind you that your responsibility is to the law. You must consider all of the evidence that was present by both sides. Any decision that you make must be unanimous." Judge Owens looked at the clock. It was after four o'clock. "I declare this court to be in recess until nine o'clock Monday morning when deliberations will begin. People of the jury, remember that you are sequestered and are not allowed to discuss this case with anyone but your fellow jurors. Have a good weekend." He banged his gavel once and the court stood up and filed out of the courtroom.

**A/N:**

_the little corinthian- I agree. It was fluffy mopey sadness! I love Stella in a hat, too. For some reason I think it just works. As for boys in hats...I have an idea for that but it will not include everyone. :D I'll probably try to do that in the next story!_

_chili-peppers- I'm glad that I've brought you onto the fm radio bandwagon! My fav ship is DL but I can also see Linday with Flack, so that's why this story came out this way. My DL story is not going to be this long. It's only going to be 5 chapters. I hope you like!_

_pnkrckprncss- Nope! You are in very good company in the gutter! I hope you like it down here! (I spend so much time in the gutter that I gave up and finally purchased a house down here. It looks like Cory's house.) I'm sorry I blindsided you with Danny leaving. That's the way that I wantd Cory and Danny to feel. They did not want to think about him having to leave. That means that I did my job as a writer!_

_screaming-poetically- I swear my muse is visiting you! I do have plans to set up Hawkes in the next story...I'm going to lay to ground work in this story to continue that storyline! I agree. I love Hawkes. It's taken me a bit to really get my head around his character. I want to do him justice. :D As for proposing...it depends on how I want the story to end...Does she end up in New York? Does she stay in Texas? Does Danny move to Dallas? These are all questions that still need to be answered. (hum...maybe I can leave the decision until I write the seqel--(ducking out of the way of objects hurled at my head at the thought of leaving y'all in suspense)--ok. You'll find out by the end of the story!) I'm going to definately try to write some SMacked! Tim saying y'all was just a sign of how long he's lived in Texas. It's just a natural thing to say here!_

_stargazr- Glad to see you back! I'm glad you liked the chapter and hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long:D_


	48. Verdict

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Hope y'all liked the closing arguments! I had fun with them. :D Here is the end of the trial! As always, please, please, please R&R! My muse loves the attention! _

Chapter 48.

**Verdict**

Cory walked out of the courtroom, conflicting emotions battering her from different angles. She was extremely pleased with O'Reilly's closing remarks; however she was concerned that the defense might have drummed up enough sympathy for Ortiz in her closing remarks. She sighed. _"Damn. Why do I have to wait two days for the jury to begin to deliberate? That just sucks. Now my weekend is going to be ruined. I hope Nicole has some plans to keep me occupied."_

She walked to her car, exhausted from staying up so late the previous evening. She decided to stop at _Chipotle_ on her way home, so that she didn't have to cook. After she got home and ate, she decided to just go to bed, her exhaustion overtaking her.

(The next day)

When Cory awoke the next morning, she was shocked to see that it was 9 am. _"Did I really sleep for more than twelve hours? Wow."_

She had just gotten out of the bathroom when her phone rang. "Hello?"

"_Get your butt out of bed. We're going riding today."_

"Hi to you to, Nic! I'll be ready in about fifteen minutes."

"_Then come and let me in. I've been standing out here for twenty minutes, waiting for you to hear the doorbell."_

"Sorry, sweetie. I was in the shower. Why didn't you just let yourself in? You have a key."

"_I didn't want to intrude."_

"Whatever…" Cory opened the front door and hung up her phone. "Like you could ever intrude!"

Nicole looked at Cory carefully. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

Cory nodded her head. "Yup, about thirteen hours worth. I guess I've been burning the candle at both ends, lately. Going out Thursday didn't help."

Nicole smiled. "It may not have helped, but it got your mind off of things. That's what's in the plan for this whole weekend. I'm spending it here by the way. Henry said that he could take care of the kids so that I can spend some quality time with you before you move."

Cory looked confused. "Before I what?"

Nicole rolled her eyes. "Hon? I know that you are not stupid, but if you don't go to New York and be with Danny, you'll regret it. _Carpe Diem._ But enough about that now. Go get dressed and I'll pack up a picnic lunch, so we can spend all day with the horses."

Cory thought better than to argue with Nicole, so she just did as she said.

(Monday morning)

Cory and Nicole sat in her house, biting their nails while the jury deliberated. Cory knew that deliberations could take days, but somehow in this case, she was not so sure. She mindlessly played darts with Nicole in her game room, while waiting for the phone to ring.

She did not have to wait long. At a little after ten o'clock, her cell phone rang. "Reid? Okay. I'll be right there." She hung up the phone and turned to Nicole. "The jury's back."

The drive to the courthouse was silent, each woman lost in her own thoughts. Cory quickly parked and both of them walked into the courtroom a little before eleven. Cory walked up to O'Reilly and looked at him. "Is this good or bad that the jury only took an hour to deliberate?"

O'Reilly looked at her. "I like to think that it is a good thing."

Cory was stopped from replying as Judge Owens walked into the courtroom. After order was called, the jury filed in. Judge Owens looked at them solemnly. "Madame Foreman. Has the jury reached a decision?"

A young woman stood up. "Yes, we have Your Honor." She handed a piece of paper to the bailiff, who handed it to the judge.

Judge Owens looked at the defense. "Will the defendant please rise?" He turned back to the jury as Ortiz stood up. "Madame Foreman, what say you?"

"We the jury find the defendant, Carlos Ortiz, guilty of murder in the first degree of James Hogan, Michael Hogan and Armando De La Cruz."

On the prosecutions side of the courtroom, sighs of relief and sobs of joy where heard. It was different story on the defense. Ortiz through a hateful glare at the jury. "You are wrong and this decision will haunt the rest of your very short lives!"

Judge Owens banged his gavel down. "Ms. Marquez, control your client or he will be removed from the courtroom immediately!" Judge Owens looked at the jury. "Have you also decided on the punishment?"

The forewoman nodded. "Yes, sir. We sentence the defendant to death by lethal injection."

Cory couldn't help herself as the tears began to flow down her face with the relief she felt. She felt Nicole put her arm around her and hand her a handkerchief. She sat there, not hearing anything else until Judge Owens said, "Court dismissed."

Nicole led her out of the courthouse where she and the entire prosecution team were surrounded by the press.

"Mr. O'Reilly! How do you feel about the verdict?"

O'Reilly grimaced. "The verdict was just. No further comments." Cory watched astounded as he pushed his way through the press without answering another question. She wasn't as lucky as the press turned back to her.

"Agent Reid! How do you feel?"

Cory fought the urge to roll her eyes. "I'm pleased with the outcome. Justice was served. This decision is a relief to the families of all the victims."

One reporter, from the NBC affiliate Channel 5 pushed closer to the front. "Do you plan on being at the execution?"

Cory drew a breath while she thought about her answer. "No. Carlos Ortiz has tried to control my life for the last six years. I will give him no more thought. If you'll excuse me, I have some phone calls to make."

Cory pushed her way to her car, with Nicole right behind her. The first thing that she did when she got to the car was call Matthew and Marlene to let them know of the verdict.

After she hung up with Marlene, shaking she dialed another number. Nicole looked at her. "Who are you calling?"

Cory held up her hand. "Hey, Messer. It's Cory. I was just calling to let you know that the jury came back and they found Ortiz guilty on all three murders and gave him the death penalty. I guess since you didn't answer, you're probably at a scene. I'll talk to you later. Bye."

Nicole looked at Cory, who looked a little hurt by the fact that Danny did not pick up. "He's probably working. He'll call ya back. Why don't we go get some lunch?"

Cory nodded her head.

(Meanwhile, in New York)

Danny was drunk. It was his day off and he was drunk at ten o'clock in the morning. He couldn't help it. He felt so lost without having Cory near him. He'd been this way since he had left Texas almost a month ago. Flack and Stella had given up hope on him and were just avoiding him. Even the lab techs noticed that something was wrong.

Mac had let it go since it was not affecting his work, just yet. Mac was still concerned enough that he sent Lindsay over to check on him.

Danny grimaced as he heard a loud knock on his door. Swaying he got up and barely made it to the door to open it. "Whadda ya want?"

Lindsay wrinkled her nose as the smell of alcohol rolled off of Danny. _"Damn. This is worse than when Louie was in the hospital."_ She pushed Danny out of the way as she walked in. "Danny. We're worried about you. You've changed. You no longer laugh, make jokes. It's like you are just a robot who does his job. Nothing more. What's going on?"

Danny felt his temper break. "Whadda ya care, Montana? You've got Flack. What the hell do I have?"

Lindsay understood what he was going through, but she was fed up with his attitude. "Danny? Come off it! If you honestly can't live without Cory, then move to Dallas. I'm sure they could use a good CSI. Or convince her to move here! Don't just stay in your apartment, drinking your life away because you are depressed that the woman you love isn't here. If you don't like something, you have the ability to change it! Don't piss your life away saying 'Oh poor me.' Do you think that is what Cory would want for you?"

Danny looked at Lindsay in shock. She had been the one who was most sympathetic when it came to his situation. He thought about it. _"Damn. She's right. I don't like not being with Cory. If it takes moving to Dallas, I'd be willing to do it. I think that I'd better think about this some more."_ He shook his head. "You're right, Montana. I always knew that I could count on you to knock some sense into me. I think I'm gonna go take a shower and try to sober up."

When Danny got out of the shower, Lindsay was gone. He picked up his phone and saw that he had a missed call from Cory. He listened to the message and was savagely glad when he heard that Ortiz was being put to death. He called her back, but just got her voicemail. He didn't leave a message. He picked up his keys and went to the lab, to see if it was possible for him to transfer to Dallas.

(The next weekend)

Nicole was fed up. She was tired of watching Cory mope around like a girl who had lost her dog. Finally on Saturday, she decided to have a talk with her.

She let herself into Cory's house, when she didn't open the door. She found Cory, lying in bed and listening to sappy love songs.

"Okay. That's it. Get up and get dressed right now!"

Cory looked at her in confusion. "What?"

Nicole got her "mom" look on her face. "You heard me! Get up and get dressed right now."

"Why? What's the point?"

Nicole drew in a calming breath. "I'm tired of your attitude, Cor. It's got to stop." She withdrew an envelope from her purse. "Here's a round trip ticket to New York for next weekend. I've contacted a friend of mine in real estate up there and he's looking for a place for you to live. I also searched online for some possible places for you to board Sampson and Delilah. If you don't go, so help me God I am going to hog-tie you and put you on the plane myself!"

"But..."

"No buts! You belong in New York with Danny. Don't worry about the house. I'll sell it for you, since that's my job. Or if you want to keep it as a vacation home, we can do that as well. I'll help you pack. I don't care what it takes. You are moving to New York. That is my final answer!"

Cory stared at Nicole as what she was saying reverberated in her brain. She knew she was right. "Damn it, Nicole! What did I do to deserve a good friend like you?"

Nicole laughed, relieved that she had gotten through to her. "You stopped Tommy Jones from pulling my hair in the fourth grade. Listen, I know that this will be hard and scary, but it's the right thing to do."

Cory got out of bed. "I think I'll go take a shower and then look over everything that you brought me." She walked into the bathroom.

When Nicole heard the shower start, she grabbed Cory's cell phone and scrolled down to a number. She hit dial on one number and prayed that the phone would be answered.

"_Hey, Cory! What's going on?"_

"Hi, Lindsay. This is Nicole, Cory's best friend. I need to talk to you."

Lindsay sounded confused. _"Okay. What happened to Cory?"_

Nicole rushed to assure her. "Nothing. I just convinced her to move to New York, but I want to keep this a secret from Danny. I was hoping that you could help."

"_Shit. She's moving here? Danny just put in for a transfer to Dallas! I'll make sure that Mac loses the paperwork. It's about damn time they came to their senses! Danny has been unbearable to work with!"_

"Cory has been, too. Listen, I'll let her know and tell her about Danny being willing to move here. I think it will make her happy. I'll tell her to call you when she is in the city."

"_Thanks, Nicole. I'll make sure that Danny doesn't go anywhere. Do you know when she'll be up here?"_

"I'm not exactly for sure, but I would say by Christmas. Listen, Cory's getting out of the shower now, so I'd better let you go. Thanks for your help."

"_No prob. If you are ever in New York, we must have coffee."_

Nicole hung up the phone, with a smile on her face.

**A/N:** _So what did everyone think of the resolution? Let me know...Just hit the little button in the corner and submit a review!_

_the little corinthian- Glad you hate Marquez. For some reason I have more fun writing characters that people hate...Wonder what Freud would say about that? Of course the jury was going to vote guilty! Way there any other way to vote? Here's the next chapter!_

_chili-peppers- Glad I tugged on your heart strings for a bit! Nicole always knows what it takes to get Cory back into a good mood. Kicking ass in pool is just one way! Chapter 1 of the D/L story (Inflaming the Sense) is up! So hope you like it!_

_pnkrckprncss- Let's see...You read any other stories that I've written? Seriously, I have another story that is in progress and I do plan on writing a sequel to this. I'll try to keep it up for you! You are always welcome to party in the gutter with me and my peeps! To answer your question...You find out in this chapter about her decision...What did you think:D_


	49. Merry Christmas

_**Disclaimer**__I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ This is definitely a fluff chapter!!! Hope y'all enjoy!!! As always, please, please, please R&R!! My muse loves the attention!!! _

Chapter 49.

**Merry Christmas**

Christmas morning dawned clear, bright and bitterly cold. Danny had mixed feelings about the day. He knew that this was the last New York Christmas that he would experience. He looked at the clock and figured that he could still call Cory.

They hadn't talked much over the past month; it was too painful for the both of them. He still wanted to surprise her by moving to Texas. He still was wondering why it was taking Mac so long to process his paperwork.

He smiled as he grabbed his phone and dialed her number.

"_Reid."_

"_Buon Natale, bella!"_

"_Danny!! Joyeux Noelle, mon cherie! How are you doing?"_

"I'm doing okay. I still miss you. What are your plans for Christmas?"

"_You know, the usual. Cooking Christmas dinner, hanging out with my friends and family. Opening presents. By the way, I sent your present to Lindsay so that you would not open it early. I got my present in the mail about a week ago and I've managed not to open it yet!"_

"You have more willpower than I do!"

"_What are you doing for Christmas? Are you spending it with your family?"_

"No. I went and saw Louie in the hospital. The doctors say that he should be out by the end of the year. I can't wait. Lindsay invited the whole team to go over to one of her friend's house, since her friend just moved here. Montana swears that we'll have fun!"

"_Trust Lindsay. I've met some of her friends, they're pretty cool. Sweetie, I hate to let you go, but I've got to get the turkey into cook. I'll call you later, okay?"_

"Okay. _Ti amo! Ciao."_

"_Bye!"_ They both hung up there phones.

Cory was barely holding back her laughter at what the look was going to be on Danny's face when she opened the door. _"I am so glad that I was able to blackmail Lindsay into keeping my secret! Since I've kept hers for so long!"_

She had not lied to Danny. She was going to be spending Christmas with her friends and family, just not in Texas like he thought. She put on a CD compilation of different Christmas songs and began to sing along with them while she finished her preparations.

(Noon)

Cory had just checked the turkey and dressing when she heard the buzzer ring. "Yes?"

"_It's Mac and Stella."_

Cory buzzed them up and was holding the door open when they stepped out of the elevator.

Stella walked in. "Wow, this is amazing!"

Cory smiled. She loved her new apartment. "Thanks. Nicole is a real estate agent and she hooked me up with a friend of hers to find a place to live. Thus, this place!"

Cory turned to Mac. "Mac. Thank you so much for not letting Danny move. I so wanted to surprise him and…"

Mac saw the look on her face. "No problem. I didn't want to lose one of my best CSI's."

Cory was about to say something when her buzzer rang. She let in Hawkes and her friend Lydia from the bureau.

She smiled as she saw them walk in. She could see the sparks flying between them. She smiled as she got everyone drinks.

(Danny's POV)

Lindsay and Flack had picked up Danny around 11:45. Danny kept trying to ask Lindsay questions about her friend, but she was not giving him much information. When they got out of the cab, he noticed they were in a nice section of the Upper East side.

"What does your friend do, Montana?'

Lindsay tried to act nonchalant. "You know, her family is in the cattle business…" She pushed the buzzer at that point. "It's Lindsay! I'm coming up." She took out a key and let them into the building.

When they finally got up to the 14th floor, they go off the elevator. Lindsay let them to apartment number 1411 and walked in.

Danny saw everyone standing in the living room and holding drinks. He looked up in surprise and Lindsay practically dragged him into the kitchen. "Danny, I'd like you to meet my friend."

Danny looked up and felt his jaw drop. "Cory? What the hell are you doing here?"

Cory looked at Danny's expression. "I live here now. Is that okay with you?"

Danny was doing a credible expression of a landed fish, while he tried to put a coherent thought together. "Hell, yeah! Why?"

Cory shot Lindsay a look and she slipped out of the room. "I realized something, Danny. I love you. That's all that matters. You know the expression, 'Home is where the heart is'?" Danny nodded. "It's true. My heart is here with you in New York. I couldn't bear to be away from you."

Danny closed the space between them and kissed her passionately. "_Bella._ I understand. I just put in for a transfer to Dallas."

Cory smiled, sweetly. "I know. I also know that Mac purposely lost your paperwork when he found out that I was moving here. I can't imagine you anywhere but in New York. The city is as much a part of you as Texas is for me."

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes, Danny. I thought long and hard about it. I have a job here. I'm going to be the new supervisor in the dangerous organizations squad. I took over Travis's job. Agent Michaels has been trying to get me back here since I left. I have friends here and people that I consider to be my family here. It was a good decision."

"What about your horses?"

"Would you stop worrying? Sampson and Delilah are fine. I found a good stable outside of the city to board them in. I'll still be able to go riding, just no swimming as much as I like."

Danny finally relented. "I just can't believe it. This is the best Christmas present ever."

"Thank you, baby. Let's go back to the party. Lunch will be ready in about thirty minutes.

Thirty minutes later, Cory called everyone into the dining room. The table was set with her grandmother's china, a gift to her from her parents when they found out she was moving.

Flack looked at the table, which was loaded with food. "I've never seen so much food in my entire life."

Cory looked at the table. She had cooked a typical Christmas dinner. Turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits, green bean casserole, fruit salad and candied yams. For desert she had pecan pie, chocolate pie and an apple pie. "Really? This is a typical Christmas dinner in Texas."

Lindsay nodded as Flack's eyes grew big. "How do you stay thin in Texas?"

Cory laughed. "It's pretty hard." She had put place cards down where everybody was to sit. Mac was at the head of the table, Stella at the foot. She had place the rest of them so that they sat across from their respective mates. She was hoping to set up Hawkes and Lydia.

Once everyone sat down, Cory looked at Mac. "Mac? Would you like to say grace and then carve the turkey?" Mac agreed and they began dinner.

(After dinner)

Everyone went into the living room for coffee. Cory had offered desert, but everyone was too full at that time. "Okay, guys. I have presents for you!!"

Cory went over to her tree which had many presents under it. Everyone else had brought their gifts, as well. She handed out the presents and when everyone had a pile in front of them, she pursed her lips. "Mac you start first."

Mac nodded and began to open his presents. Once he was done, he had a nice tie from Stella, a book about Asian weaponry from Hawkes, some accessories for his bass guitar from Flack and Lindsay, a joke book from Danny, and Cory had given him a book about Texas.

Stella went next. She had gotten spa packages from Lindsay and Cory, a nice pair of earrings from Danny and Flack, a gift certificate from Hawkes and a gorgeous necklace from Mac.

They let Lydia go next and she got spa packages from all the women. Cory laughed at that. "Maybe all us girls should have a spa day!"

Hawkes went next. Flack and Lindsay had gotten him a really nice chess set, Danny had gotten him some books on crime lab equipment, Mac and Stella had gotten him some lessons so that he could learn to so facial reconstructions by hand and Cory had gotten him the game _Operation._

Flack was next. Lindsay had gotten him a gun cleaning set, Stella a tie, Mac, Danny and Hawkes had gotten him season tickets to the New York Rangers and Cory had gotten him a book on guns.

Lindsay began to open her presents with enthusiasm. Cory and Stella had gotten her spa packages, Danny and Mac had gotten her gift certificates to a video store, Hawkes got her a gift package full of things having to do with Montana, and Flack had gotten her a necklace.

Danny urged Cory to go next. From Mac and Stella she had gotten spa packages, Hawkes gave her a guidebook to New York, Lydia had given her a membership to a gun shooting club, Flack and Lindsay had gotten her a nice sheepskin jacket to go riding in and Danny gave her a diamond heart pendant necklace.

Finally it was Danny's turn. Mac, Stella, Hawkes, Lindsay and Flack had gotten him season tickets to the Yankees and Cory gave him boots and a Stetson.

Danny looked at her. "Boots? A cowboy hat?"

Cory smirked. "It's called a Stetson, Messer. Since I'm going to live up here, if it's the last thing I do, I will turn you into a rider!"

The rest of the group laughed. Cory asked if anyone was ready for desert. Everyone was and they quickly demolished the pies.

(After the party)

Danny stayed and help Cory clean up after everyone left. He looked at her. "Have I told you recently how much I love you?"

Cory smiled as she washed the china. "Nope. Probably as much as I love you. So you're really happy that I'm here?"

"Yes, _bella_. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the gift you gave me."

"Do you know how hard it is to get someone's boot size without them knowing? That was an experience. By the way, those are hand-tailored boots. Made especially for you from Justin Boots. I hope they fit okay. If not, there is a store here where we can get them sized properly."

"I'm just astounded by you being here! Although, if it's alright with you, I'll wait for the riding lessons. It's to cold now!"

"I know. I'll still be riding, but I'll wait to introduce you to the whole experience. By the way, I have one more present for you that I couldn't give to you in front of the others."

Danny eyes lit up. "Really? What is it?"

Cory smirked. "You'll just have to wait until we get everything cleaned and organized."

Danny began to clean in earnest. Finally, after about an hour, they were done. "So where is my present?"

Cory sauntered back to her room. "I'll just go get it. Just sit on the couch and I'll be right back."

She was back in a few minutes. She stayed out of Danny's sight and told him to close his eyes. Danny complied with her. Cory walked behind him and put a blindfold on him.

"What are you doing?"

"Making sure that you don't peek." Once the blindfold was secure, she walked around the room, lighting candles and turning off the lights. She turned on some romantic music and then stood in front of the fireplace. "Okay, you can take off the blindfold."

Danny quickly stripped the blindfold from his eyes and had to let them adjust to the darkness. When he looked at the fireplace, he saw Cory silhouetted against the fire. She had a bow on top of her head.

"Are you going to unwrap your present or not?"

Danny groaned in his desire and slowly walked over to her. "This is the best Christmas ever!" Those were the last coherent words he uttered for a couple of hours.

* * *

**A/N:** _Okay, guys...I thought I'd end this chapter so that all y'all minds would be in the gutter!_

_the little corinthian- How does your happy dance go? I'm glad you liked the decision...I had toyed with leaving that till the sequel, but I didn't want rotten fruits thrown at me or my muse! Feel free to babble anytime you want!_

_chili-peppers- Glad you liked Lindsay coming down on Danny. He just needed that! Ortiz may be sticking around for the sequel...I haven't decided yet. We do still need to find out about his suppliers! My DL story will not be updated quickly...Unlike this story, I don' t have any chapter's written in advance._

_pnkrckprncss- Love your thinking pose:D As for gutter time...what do you think? My mind was so partying there the night I wrote this chapter! I'm glad I got you emotionally invested in hating Ortiz! I'm astounded that this story has had that effect on the people reading this! I honestly did not think the story would be this popular! (I'm blushing!) Yes, you did spell superbly right! Can't wait to read your review on Inflaming the Senses!_

_Updated on 7/15/07 to correct a translation problem...Many thanks to Pam who pointed it out to me!!!_


	50. New Year's Eve Surprise

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Okay. Hope y'all enjoyed the resolution to whether or not Cory was going to move! Just one more chapter after this….As always, please, please, please R&R! My muse loves the attention! _

Chapter 50.

**New Year's Eve Surprise**

Cory and Danny had slept in the day after Christmas. When they finally began to stir, it was almost noon. Danny looked down at the very content and satisfied woman that lay in his arms. "Mornin'."

Cory smiled. "Mornin'. Why are you so happy?"

Danny smiled. "I just can't believe that you're here. That you moved here."

Cory looked at him. "You can thank Nicole for that. She practically tied me up and put me on the plane. Said that if I didn't move here then I was making the worst mistake of my life. So here I am."

Danny looked at her. "Remind me to buy her dinner when she is visiting you. When do you start your new job?"

"Next Tuesday, after the New Year's holiday. Agent Michaels wanted to give me some time to adjust to actually moving here. Do you have to work today?"

Danny nodded. 'I'm on from four to midnight."

Cory looked a little down about that. "That sucks. At least I have you to myself for another couple of hours."

Danny smiled. "Let's make the most of that time." He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her lips, while his hands moved the sheets out of his way.

(Later that night, Cory's apartment)

Cory was humming to herself and she unpacked more boxes of clothes. She looked at her closet and the amount of clothes she had and made a realization. "Aw, hell. I'm actually going to have to store my summer clothes! That's just weird." Sighing, she separated her clothes out.

When she was done with that task, she decided to set up the spare bedroom. The moving crew had put the bed together for her, but it was still undecorated. Just as she was walking to her bedroom, her cell phone rang. Grinning she answered the phone, recognizing Nicole's phone number. "_Hola, chica!_ How's it going?"

"_Good. How did Danny react?"_

"He was shocked and rather pleased. Thank you. I would have never done this without you. When are you going to visit me?"

"_When are you going to unpack everything? Remember when you moved into your house? It took you two years to unpack everything!"_ Nicole laughed at the memory.

"Hey! I'm doing better. I've already unpacked my bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. I just have the spare room left. That and all my movies and CD's."

"_I'm impressed. I should be able to take some time off in February. I'm thinking that Henry and I will be up there for Valentine's Day. Is that soon enough for you?"_

Cory nodded her head as she replied. "It'll be fine. I'll make sure that you make it to the Empire State Building. Sweetie, as much as I love talking to you, if I don't start unpacking this room soon, it'll never get done. Can I call you tomorrow?"

"_Sure. Just make sure that you call me! Love ya!"_

Cory was still laughing as she hung up her phone. She was reenergized to begin unpacking again.

(Meanwhile, at the crime lab)

Lindsay looked at Danny, a smile crossing her face. "Hey! Messer! Why are you grinning like a fool? Your case going well?"

Danny shook himself out of his daze. "Naw. The case is stuck, but I can't keep from thinking 'bout Cory. I still don't believe that she moved to New York. Why would she give up her life in Texas?"

Lindsay rolled her eyes. "Danny. She gave it up for you. She is massively in love with you. Just don't screw it up."

Danny laughed as Lindsay walked back to their office. He watched Hawkes walk by the lab in a daze. He walked out of the lab and tried to catch Hawkes' attention. "Hawkes! Yo, Hawkes! Hawkes!"

Finally, Hawkes turned around. "Sorry, Messer. What's going on?"

"You look a little distracted, man. Who is she?"

Hawkes looked at him. "If you must know, that woman Lydia that I met last night. She's different. Listen, I got to go and check on my DNA results. See you later."

Danny sighed when he went back to work. He was trying his best not to think about Cory and work, but he knew that it was going to be a long night.

(1 am)

Cory had just finished making up the bed in the spare room, when she heard her buzzer ring. Smiling, she walked over and answered it. "Yes?"

"It's me. Can I come up?"

"You had to ask?"

"Since I don't have a key, yes!"

Cory just laughed and buzzed Danny up. She unlocked her door and left it a bit ajar.

"Cory? Don't leave your door open. You never know who might walk in."

Cory faked shock. "Really? You right! Who are you and what the hell are you doing in my apartment!"

Danny just shook his head and laughed. "Alright. I'll back off. Now come here."

Cory willing went into his arms and surrendered to his lips.

(New Year's Eve)

Cory, Lindsay and Stella had planned the New Year's Eve party for everyone. By general consensus, it was being held at Cory's apartment, since she had the most room.

Stella and Lindsay arrived at Cory's apartment at five o'clock, to help her prepare.

Stella walked in carrying a bag of groceries. "I brought food! Lindsay brought the plates, napkins and cups. Do you need anything else?"

Cory walked out of the kitchen. "Nope. I've got ice. I've restocked by liquor cabinet and got some beer for the guys. Oh, by the way. I talked to Lydia earlier today and she could not stop talking about Hawkes! I smell romance!" Cory rolled her eyes in amusement.

Lindsay laughed. "You are such a matchmaker! You do you plan on matching up next?"

Cory got a mischievous look in her eyes. "I'll never tell. I guess I'll play bartender tonight. Nicole gave me a drink recipe book for Christmas, since I won't have her most excellent bartending services."

A couple of hours later, the women had everything ready. They had all agreed to get ready at Cory's, so Cory took the shower first. When she got out, Stella took hers and the Lindsay took her shower.

After they were done with their showers, all the women stood in Cory's bedroom, trying to do her hair and make up. Cory was beginning to look frustrated while trying to do her hair. "Damn it! One of these days I'm just going to cut it all off!"

Lindsay looked at her. Lindsay had already done her hair. She had pulled it into a sleek chignon. "Cory. Here, let me do your hair. What are you wearing?"

"I have a silver dress with spaghetti straps."

Thirty minutes later, Lindsay was done. She had simply straightened Cory's hair and let it hang free. "Linds, thank you. I was just at a loss. Besides, Danny's never seen me this dressed up. I need to go get dressed so I can put on my make-up." Cory looked over a Stella, who had already gotten dressed. "Wow, Stella. You look amazing!"

Stella was dressed in a simple black dress that fell to her knees. It had spaghetti straps that left her shoulders bare. "Now, I need to do my make-up."

Lindsay agreed and she too got dressed. She had a royal blue dress which fell to just below her knees, but it had a thigh high slit up the right side.

Cory got dressed in her gown. It was silver and fell to her knees with a modest slip up the left side.

Thirty minutes later, they had finished their make-up and Cory went to fix them a drink.

(At the party)

Cory was pleasantly surprised to see how many people had showed up to her party. She had invited people from work plus the guys from the crime lab. She had seen Sid show up with a stunning blonde on his arm, but was disappointed when he told her that Taylor and Marty couldn't make it.

Stella came up for a refresher on her drink and Cory decided to ask her about Mac. "Stella? Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Why the hell aren't you and Mac dating?"

Stella choked on her drink. "Umm…what?"

Cory just gave her a look. "Come on. You're obviously attracted to him, he's attracted to you. What's the problem?"

Stella looked a little uncomfortably. "Let's just call it bad timing and leave it at that."

"Okay." Cory turned as she saw Lydia walking over. "Hey, Lydia! Wow, you look good! Trying to impress someone?" Cory raised her eyebrows.

Lydia flushed a bit. She had her black hair pulled back in an elegant pony-tail and was wearing a red dress that set off her olive toned skin very nicely. "Thanks and kind of. Is Sheldon going to be here?"

Cory looked over Lydia's shoulder. "He just walked in and can't take his eyes off of you. Let me get you a drink. What do you want?"

"Can I have a margarita?"

"Frozen or on ice?"

"Frozen, please."

"Not a problem. Hawkes, what can I get for you?"

Hawkes walked up, still distracted by how Lydia looked. "Um…a beer?" She turned to Lydia and flashed her a smile. "Hi. Lydia, right?"

Lydia smiled a little. "Yeah. Sheldon, right?"

Cory smiled a little as she put the drinks in front of them and turned to make another drink. She kept scanning to crowd, looking for Danny. She still didn't see him and was getting a little worried. She decided to take a break from making drinks for a little bit and walked around talking to different people.

She caught up with Lindsay and Stella. "Have y'all seen Danny, Flack or Mac?"

Stella shook her head. "They're running a bit late, something about a decomposing body and trying to get the stench out. They should be here soon."

Cory breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay. I was getting worried."

Stella smiled. "Understandable. Now, did I see Hawkes and Lydia talking?"

Cory giggled. "Yup. He couldn't take his eyes off of her when he walked in. I'm so good at setting people up." Cory scrunched her nose a little. "What can I say? I have a gift."

Lindsay just rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Who's making drinks?"

Cory looked back at the bar. "Well, since there are people waiting, I guess I need to get back."

Almost an hour later, Cory was making herself a Cosmo, when a pair of hands covered her eyes. "Hey!" She turned quickly and saw Danny standing there. She sniffed the air and smelled lemons. "Decomp. Nice. At least you only smell like lemons, now."

"How'd ya know?"

"I talked to Stella."

Danny gave her a little kiss. _"Osservate stasera molto bei."_

Cory looked at him, with confusion in her eyes. "What?"

"You look very beautiful tonight. Guess what?" Danny didn't wait for her to answer. "Louie gets out of the hospital on Friday! I'm so relieved that he is better."

Cory smiled. "Things are looking up for you! Congrats. Do you want a drink?"

Danny thought about it. "I'll take a beer."

"Coming right up." Cory looked over and saw Flack and Lindsay in a deep conversation. _"I wonder if they are going to come clean tonight? I hope so. I hate having to keep something from Danny."_

(5 minutes to Midnight)

Cory looked at the clock and realized that it was almost midnight. Quickly she went into her kitchen and grabbed the bottles of champagne out of her fridge. She grabbed the cups and began to pour the champagne into glass. "Okay, everyone! It's almost midnight. Come get your champagne!"

Once everyone had a glass, there were just a few seconds left.

"10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1...Happy New Year." All of the couples shared kisses, including Stella and Mac. When Danny finally let Cory up for air people had begun singing _Auld Lang Syne._

People began to file out soon after that and soon it was just the people from the crime lab and Lydia left. Cory looked at Flack and Lindsay and smiled. She realized that they were about to make their announcement.

Lindsay looked around. "Um…guys. I'd like to tell you something." Everyone turned and looked at her. "Don and I are engaged!"

Stella squealed. "Really! Congratulations. I'm so excited!"

Danny looked at Cory. "Aren't you happy?"

"Yeah, but I've known about this for a little bit. Lindsay swore me to secrecy."

Danny just shook his head and made his way to congratulate the happy couple. "So when's the wedding?"

Flack shook his hand. "We want to have it on June 16. That's the best time for Lindsay's family to fly into town. All I know is that I'm going to show up at the church. She can have whatever kind of ceremony that she wants."

Mac overheard the comment. "Smart man. That is the best thing to do." Without realizing it, all of the women had drawn Lindsay to a corner and all of the men were still talking by the bar. Danny was the first one to notice. "Don't look now, Flack. They are planning the wedding already."

Flack laughed. "Oh, Linds has already planned a good deal of it. She's ultra organized. We already have the church and the minister booked. I'm sure that they are just ironing out the details."

Over in the corner, Cory was hugging Lindsay. "I am so glad it's out in the open now. How much of the wedding do you have planned?"

Lindsay smiled, radiantly. "A lot. Cory? I want you to be my maid of honor. And then Stella and my sister, Julie will be bridesmaids."

Cory looked at Lindsay. "I'm honored. Listen. What are y'all doing tomorrow?"

Both Stella and Lindsay said that they had the day off. "Why don't we get together and plan the wedding?"

Lindsay looked relieve. "Thanks. I think I'm in over my head here! I could use the help."

Stella looked at her. "Sounds like a plan." Stella yawned. "I'd better go home. I've been up since four am. I worked the early shift to have tonight off."

Everyone else agreed and left Danny and Cory alone in the apartment. Cory took one look around and sighed. "You know what? Screw it. I'll clean tomorrow. I'm just tired and want to go to sleep. You staying here tonight?"

Danny nodded. "Sure. I'm too tired to drive home."

With that, Cory turned out the lights and they went to bed.

**A/N:**

_Mr. and Mrs. Paul Monroe_

_and_

_Mr. and Mrs. Donald Flack, Sr._

_Cordially Invite you to the Wedding of_

_Ms. Lindsay Ann_

_To_

_Mr. Donald Andrew Flack, Jr._

_On the Evening of June 16, 2007 at Six P.M._

_Being Held in Trinity Church, New York City, New York._

_anonymous reviewer (chili-peppers maybe?)- I'm glad you like the chapter enough to read it 20 times! That's just amazing. Personally I have a new favorite (chapter 51...just wait and see!)._

_kasmith101- Glad to see you back! I've missed you! You're on the right track, but just moving a bit fast! That will all happen in the sequel (maybe not the babies, I'm not sure about doing that yet)! But how 'bout I give you some good fm radio fluff instead:D_

_the little corinthian- Trust me, the fluff can get better:D I know, I can't wait for Christmas dinner, either. I always help my mom cook it, so I get a preview, but still...turkey and dressing! My fav part of Christmas, is making homemade Chex mix and playing games with my family (usually Canasta or Trivial Pursuit)._

_pnkrckprncss- I'm glad you are so happy! I'll admit, I had always planned on her moving to NY and taking over Travis' job, but once I started talking about doing a sequel, I wasn't sure if she was going to move in this one or the next. My mental image of Cory and Danny...was very explicit! I hope yours was too! I'm glad you like the story...It's been an experience writing it (let's just say, I've been writing a book for about 12 years now and it's no where near this long). This is the longest thing I've ever written! Before this, I ususally just wrote really depressing poetry! So thank you!_

_brainDamage089- Welcome! I've said it before, but I love new reviewers! Wow! I can't believe you read it all in just a day and a half! I hope the tears were both of the happy and sad variety, that's what I was aiming for! Thank you! There is one more chapter of this one after this, but I'm still working on my DL fic (Inflaming the Senses) and will be writing a sequel to this starting sometime next month. I will warn you, though. The sequel will not be updated regularly since I start back to college this week and my free time flies out of the window! I got the idea for Danny speaking Italian from a couple of other fics...You're right. It's very sexy! I get weak in the knees whenever my mental picture of Danny talks Italian...There's just something sexy about a guy talking to ya in a different language:D I hope you're brother had a good B-Day!_

_note to tylerhiltongroupie53 and Axellia---Where are you guys? I miss you, please come back soon:D_


	51. Epilogue

**_Disclaimer_: **_I am not Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue or Carol Mendelsohn. All the characters of CSI: NY are not mine…I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I promise that I will put them back, exactly the way I found them when I'm done….Oh, Cory Reid is mine and I will take credit for anything she does. :)_

**A/N:**_ Okay. So this is the final chapter (And a very long chapter at that):) At least for now…I am writing a sequel, called Déjà Vu, look for it sometime in the future. I want to say thank you to everyone when read and a special thank you to everyone who reviewed, even if it was only for one chapter! Reviews are awesome and help me to finish what I started. Whoever reviews to this chapter, I will reply back to the review, so if you review as anonymous be sure to either leave a email address for me to reply back to, so I can make sure that I respond! So enjoy this final chapter and please, as always, please, please, please R&R! My muse loves the attention! _

Chapter 51.

**Epilogue**

The day of June 16 dawned clear and perfect. Cory took her time in waking up, realizing that she would need every moment of peace she could get before getting ready for Lindsay's wedding. She rolled over in her bed and stared at Danny, who was sleeping peacefully beside her. He had moved in with her about a month earlier, saying that it was just easier since he spent all of his time there anyway.

Carefully she got out of bed and began to get ready. She put on a button up shirt and a pair of jeans. She had picked up her bridesmaid dress the week before, so she started gathering her accessories for it.

All of the women had matching dresses, but hers was a different color since she was the maid of honor. Hers was an aquamarine, while the rest of the bridesmaid's dresses were a pale green.

Just as she had finished getting her make-up, jewelry and shoes together, she heard Danny sigh. She smiled. He had gotten home from the bachelor's party at about four in the morning. She walked softly into bedroom. "Mornin', sweetie. How's your head?"

Danny groaned. "Do you have to talk so loud?"

Cory stifled the urge to laugh. "Sweetie, I'm barely whispering. I made you some coffee, but I really have to leave now. Please make sure Flack is at the church on time!"

Danny grunted and nodded to her. "Okay. What time is it?"

"A little before nine. Our hair appointments start at eleven, so I have to go pick everyone up. Y'all have to be at the church by five. The wedding starts at six. Trust me; you don't want to mess with a woman or her bridesmaids on her wedding day. Lindsay's likely to kill you if you are even two minutes late. Don't forget, we know how to hide the body!"

Danny just laughed as he watched her gather her things and leave.

(The hairdresser's)

Cory led Stella, Lindsay and Julie into the upscale salon. "Don't worry. Sebastian is the best when it comes to hair! My hair girl in Dallas gave me his number when she found out I was moving. I've been here a couple of times and he is great. His boyfriend is the one that is going to do our make-up."

The other three women were silent as she led them through the maze of hallways to a small room in the back. Cory knocked on the door then went in. "Hey, Sebastian! How's life treatin' ya?"

The drop-dead gorgeous blonde in the room looked up as she walked in. "Hey. If it isn't my favorite FBI agent! Life is fab. How's yours goin'? Move in with your hottie yet?"

Cory blushed slightly. "Yeah. He moved in with me last month. I'd like to introduce you to everyone. Okay, here's Lindsay. She the bride. This is her sister, Julie." Cory pointed to the woman who looked a lot like Lindsay, only with blonde hair. "And this is Stella."

Sebastian looked over the women. "Man. If I was straight, you three would be in so much trouble! I've never seen cops who look this good. Why can't you guys pull me over when I'm speeding?" He grinned.

The other women felt at ease with him immediately. He looked at them. "So what are we doing with your hair?"

Lindsay thought for a moment. "I want all my bridesmaids to have up-dos. Mine, I don't know. It just needs to look good both under the veil and by itself, since I won't be wearing the veil at the reception."

Sebastian looked at her. "Why don't you look through these magazines and see if you see anything you like. You did bring your veil, right?" At Lindsay nod yes, he continued. "I'll work on everyone else first and we'll save you for last."

Sebastian gestured to Julie first. He quickly went to work on her shoulder length hair, putting hot rollers in her hair to curl it. Then he gestured to Stella. "You, my dear, have gorgeous hair. Let's see. I'll do both your hair and Julie's hair the same way, except I don't have to curl yours. Cory? Didn't you say something about you guys having flowers in your hair?"

Cory nodded and opened up a paper sack she had brought in. "It's just baby's breath. I brought plenty, I hope." She withdrew the flowers from the sack and set them on the counter.

Sebastian nodded and began to work on Stella's hair. He pulled it back from her face, leaving a few stray curls. Then he began twisting it into individual curls and pinning those into place. It took him about thirty minutes to pin all of it back, adding the baby's breath last. He did the same to Julie's hair.

Once their hair was done, he looked at Cory. "You, my dear, have too much hair to do in that style." Cory had grown her hair out even longer. It was almost to her butt. He paused to think about what he wanted to do with her hair. "I know. I'll French braid most of it, and leave a few tendrils around your face."

Cory smiled. She knew just how he was planning on doing her hair. She sat in the chair and twenty minutes later he was almost done. Her hair was parted down the middle and French braided into two braids. Then he had twisted the braids into a knot at the base of her skull. The effect was one where it looked like it was all braided into the knot without seeing where the individual braids began. He had left a few tendrils to frame her face, like what he had done with Stella and Julie.

"Okay. I'm done with you guys. Lindsay, have you decided what you want to do?"

Lindsay nodded. "I think so. I really like this effect and I think it will look good with the tiara that the veil attaches to." She pointed to a picture of Ann Hathaway from the movie, _The Princess Diaries._

Sebastian nodded his approval. "Excellent choice. Very classic. Do you have your tiara with you?"

Lindsay nodded and Cory drew the tiara from the bag. "Here you go."

Sebastian placed the tiara on her head first and then completed pulling her hair back into the bun. "There. All done and it's only two! I finished quicker than I had planned. Let me set all of your hair with hairspray, so it doesn't fall."

When he was done, the four women admired their hair in the mirror. Cory quickly paid him and then said, "So, you'll meet us at the church at four? That way you can do touch ups and also do the flower girl's hair?"

Sebastian nodded and agreed to meet them there as they walked out of the room. The women left to go get lunch and then head to the church.

(3:30 pm, Trinity Church)

Cory parked her SUV in the parking lot for the church. The women got out of the SUV and gathered their belongings and walked inside. Lindsay ushered them to the bride's room in the back, so they could begin to get ready.

Cory looked at her. "I'm going to do a walk through of the sanctuary, to make sure everything looks okay." Stella said that she would go with her, to give Lindsay and Julie some time alone together.

When Stella and Cory walked into the sanctuary, they both gasped at the beauty of it. Lindsay had chosen spring and summer flowers, including daisies and lilies, to line the pew's with.

"Wow. Lindsay made a great choice with these flowers," Cory said.

"I agree." Stella looked at Cory. "So when are you and Danny going to take the plunge?"

Cory smirked. "About the same time you and Mac do." Stella tried not to look at Cory. "Come on, Stella. I know y'all are dating. I picked up on y'alls body language the last time we all went out together. Don't try to deny it."

Stella felt a blush creep up her cheeks. "Don't tell anyone. No one else knows."

Cory laughed. "I know. Do you know how hard it is to keep this from Danny? I just don't understand why they don't see it? Maybe it's a form of being myopic. You just can't see what's staring you in the face. Believe me Stella, they won't find out from me. Hell, I kept the secret that Flack and Lindsay were engaged for almost four months!"

Stella opened her eyes in surprise. "You knew for almost four months? When did they get engaged?"

"The Sunday that I left, on top of the Empire State Building."

"Don's such a closet romantic. I can see him doing something like that. We'd better go back. It's time to get our make-up done."

(Five pm)

The guys arrived at the church, exactly at five. When they walked in, they were shown to the groom's room. Danny looked at Flack. "So, man. You ready for this?"

Flack looked serious. "Yeah. I love her so much, that this will be a piece of cake. It just feels right. Does that make sense?"

Mac was the one who nodded his understanding. "It was like that when I married Claire. I wasn't nervous at all. I had let her plan the wedding. Her instructions to me were, 'Be at the church at this time and make damn sure you are wearing a tux.' I did and it was one of the happiest days of my life." Mac smiled at the memory.

Flack looked at the men that were with him. Danny, his best man, Mac and Hawkes, who were both groomsmen. They were the people with whom he was the closest. He smiled. "We'd better get ready."

They were interrupted by a knock at the door. Danny was the one who opened it and stared at Cory. "_Bella._ You look…um…I don't have a word for the way you look. Beautiful doesn't do you justice."

Cory flushed and smiled. "Thanks. I still have to get dressed, but I just wanted to make sure that y'all were here before I did that. Now that I can reassure Lindsay that Flack is indeed here and getting into his tux, we can get ready. _Je t'aime, mon coeur._ I'd better get back."

Danny watched as she walked away. He turned back into the room. "Flack, if Lindsay looks as good as Cory, you'd better keep your tongue in your mouth. Damn, she looked hot!"

The guys laughed as they finished getting ready.

Cory walked back into the bride's suite. "The guys are here and getting dressed as we speak. You can breathe a sigh of relief Linds. Please start getting dressed now!"

Lindsay did just that. Cory got into her dress and then stared at Michelle, Lindsay's niece, who was the flower girl. Sebastian had done her hair exactly like Stella and Julie's. Cory had voiced a concern at that. "What if it falls? She is a child and children are prone to make a mess of their hair."

Sebastian had reassured her. "Honey, when I'm done with her hair, the only way that it will come down is when it's washed!" He delivered on his promise, Michelle's hair was so secure that Cory decided that only standing under running water would make it fall.

After they were all ready, Lindsay's mom, Janet came in. "Sweetheart. You look so beautiful. You all do."

Lindsay gave her a hug. "Thanks, Mom. I'm just glad that I'm not nervous anymore. This morning my stomach was full of butterflies!"

Janet smiled. "That's a good thing. It was the same with me before I married your dad. We've been married for 37 years, now. I just wanted to give you something. I know that you probably already have your something old, new, borrowed and blue. But my mom gave me to this on my wedding day and I think that it's time I passed it on." Janet handed Lindsay a package. "It is your great, great-grandmother's handkerchief. She made it and carried it on her wedding day."

Lindsay opened the package and pulled out the beautiful, hand stitched, ivory lace handkerchief. Embroidered into the corner were the initials LF. Lindsay looked at her mom in surprise. "L.F? What was her name?"

Janet smiled. "That's what is so amazing about it. Her maiden name was Laura Cooper. But she married, John Freeman. So her married initials were LF. Laura Freeman. This was meant to come to you."

Lindsay felt tears well up in her eyes. "Mom. This is so great! Thank you. I'll carry it down the aisle." Lindsay hugged her mom again. "Okay. I've got to stop crying now."

Cory looked at the clock. "Yes, you do. It's time!"

Janet opened the door and let Lindsay's dad, Paul came in. "Sweetheart, you look gorgeous. Are you ready?"

Lindsay nodded. "I can't wait."

Paul grinned. "In that case, everyone is in the sanctuary and we are just waiting on you."

The group looked at each other one last time. They all nodded at the same time. "Let's go," said Stella.

Julie took Michelle's hand as Janet left to go sit in the sanctuary. Julie led the group to the double door entrance to the sanctuary. There, two ushers were waiting. There would be a double door entrance for each woman, including Michelle. In between when the women were walking down the aisle, the doors would be shut again. Everyone lined up. Michelle was first, followed by Julie, Stella, Cory and then Lindsay.

When the first strains of _You Had Me From Hello_ began to play, the ushers opened up the door for Michelle, who skipped down the aisle. Julie went next and walked at a more sedate pace.

About halfway through the song, Stella began the walk. As she looked up to the dais, she saw Mac standing there in between Danny and Hawkes. Stella felt emotion swell in her chest at the sight of him. _"I wish that someday this will be us."_

Mac watched as Stella began the walk down the aisle. _"She is so beautiful. What did I ever do to deserve her?"_

At the three quarter mark to the song, Cory began to walk down the aisle. She smiled in pleasure as she saw Danny standing beside Flack, looking very handsome in his tuxedo. _"I love him so much. I can't wait until this happens for us. I am so ready for this to happen."_

Danny felt his heart stop in his chest as Cory began her walk. _"Oh, my. She looks…amazing! How could I once have thought that she was just pretty? She is stunning. I am such a lucky man. I hope I don't screw up this relationship."_

When Cory turned and stood on the dais, the song was just ending. A hush fell over the hundred people gathered in the church. Then the familiar strains of _The Wedding March_ began to play. Everyone in the church stood and turned to face the rear.

Flack forgot to breathe when he saw Lindsay walking towards his on her dad's arm. Her dress was a very classic A-Line dress. It has simple spaghetti straps and beadwork throughout the bodice. She was wearing simple low-heeled shoes that were comfortable. The detachable train flowed behind her while her tiara veil floated down around her shoulders.

Lindsay smile when she saw Flack standing by Danny and the minister. _"He looks so handsome in the tuxedo. The butterflies are back."_ Once they reached the dais, Lindsay turned to her dad. He lifted the veil, kissed her softly on her cheek and put her hand into Flack's. Then he stepped back.

The minister looked at both of them. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the love between these two people. I ask now, who gives this woman's hand in holy matrimony?"

Paul and Janet stood up. "We do."

The minister nodded. "The joining of two people in holy matrimony is a sacred service. It is not to be taken lightly. So I ask now, is there anyone who has any reason to object to this joining? Speak now or forever hold your peace."

The hush remained in place throughout the church. The minister continued. "Lindsay and Donald have written their own vows."

Flack drew a breath. "Lindsay, when I first saw you I was stunned. Your beauty, intelligence and heart all drew me in. I was in a bad place in my life, but you managed to turn it around. I would love you for that alone. Each moment that I spend with you is like a moment in heaven. I love you."

Lindsay smiled. "Don, when I met you I was blown away. You are a wonderful man who brings an amazing mind to everything you do. You restored my faith in the decentness of people. Everyday you bring a joy to my life that I have been looking for. I love you."

The minister smiled and looked at Flack. "Donald, repeat after me. I, Donald, take thee Lindsay to be my lawfully wedded wife." Flack repeated the minister's words. "To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, till death do us part." After Flack repeated the words, he turned to Lindsay and repeated the sentence.

The minister turned back to Flack. "Donald? Do you take Lindsay to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold from this day forward, till death do you part?"

"I do."

The minister turned to Lindsay. "Lindsay? Do you take Donald to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold from this day forward, till death do you part?"

"I do."

The minister looked at Danny. "May I have the rings please?" Danny handed over the rings. Lindsay turned and gave her bouquet to Cory. "The wedding ring is the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two loyal hearts in endless love. It is a seal of the vows Donald and Lindsay have made to one another. Bless O God these rings, that Lindsay and Donald, who give them, and who wear them, may ever abide in thy peace. Living together in unity, love and happiness for the rest of their lives. Donald, repeat after me." The minister gave Flack Lindsay's ring. "Lindsay, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. With this ring, I thee wed."

Flack slid the ring onto her finger easily and repeated the words.

"Lindsay, place this ring on his hand and repeat after me. Donald, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. With this ring, I thee wed.""

Lindsay's voice shook slightly as she repeated the words and slid the ring onto Flack's finger.

The minister smiled. "In as much as you have each pledged to the other your lifelong commitment, love and devotion, I now pronounce you husband and wife, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder. You may kiss your bride."

Flack leaned in and took Lindsay's lips with his own. The kiss was passionate and drew much cheering from the assembled crowd. As they turned to their assembled family and friends, the minister had one last thing to say. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I present Mr. and Mrs. Donald Flack, Jr."

(Reception)

The guests from the wedding made their way to the Hilton Millennium for the reception. The bridal party stayed behind to take pictures. That took about thirty minutes and then they, too, made their way to the Hilton.

Once there, Flack and Lindsay stood beside each other, holding hands. Flack looked down at her. "How you holding up?"

Lindsay smiled. "Other than being hungry, I'm fine. Can't wait to start the honeymoon." Lindsay had an impish grin on her face after saying that statement.

The rest of the bridal party along with Julie's husband, William, and Lydia arrived. Cory looked at everyone. "Y'all ready to be introduced?"

Both Flack and Lindsay nodded. Cory looked at the rest of the bridal party and they walked into the reception room. Cory walked up to the DJ and let him know that the newlyweds were ready to be introduced. Cory was glad, she was hungry as well.

(After Dinner)

After everyone had eaten, it was time for the dancing to begin. After the current song ended, the DJ said, "Now it's time for the newlywed's first dance as husband and wife. Lindsay and Don, the floor in yours." He started the song. It was _Everything I Do, I Do It For You_ by Bryan Adams.

Lindsay and Flack took to the floor, slowly dancing to the music. They didn't need words, the moved together seamlessly. They ended the song with a dip and a kiss on the final note.

"Now it's time for the rest of the bridal party to join them."

Danny and Cory, Mac and Stella and Julie and Hawkes joined the couple of the dance floor. As Danny was leading Cory around the floor he made an observation. "Mac and Stella dance really well together. I wonder…"

Cory looked at him, aware that she was treading on thin ice. "You wonder what?"

Danny looked down at her. "I wonder if Mac and Stella will ever act on their feelings toward each other. They look good together."

Cory mentally groaned. "I don't know. Maybe." As the song moved into the next song, Hawkes began to dance with Lydia. The pair had been officially dating for two months and Cory was happy for them. "One couple you don't have to worry about is Hawkes and Lydia. I knew they would hit it off! I'm glad I introduced them."

Danny smiled. "You are a matchmaker, aren't you?"

Cory raised her eyebrows. "Little bit. What can I say, I'm good at it. I'm the one that introduced Nicole and Henry. I convinced Lindsay and Flack to admit their feelings to each other! Maybe I'm in the wrong career."

Danny laughed at her. He looked at the clock and realized that it was almost time for the toasts and to cut the cake. He reluctantly let go of Cory and made his way over to the microphone as the DJ announced that it was time for the toasts.

Once everyone had a glass, he stepped up to the microphone. "As the best man, it's my job to say embarrassing things about the happy couple. So here I go. Flack, man. I don't know what you did to bedazzle Lindsay, but I never thought I'd see you guys together. I thought we had an agreement, man. She was supposed to be mine!" Danny was laughing as he tried to get that out. "Okay, seriously. I am so glad that Lindsay loves you. It is completely obvious to anyone who looks at you, how in love you guys are. I wish you the best, so here's a toast to a long and fruitful marriage!" Everyone raised their glasses and drank to Danny's toast.

Flack and Lindsay made their way to the cake to cut it. They both gripped the knife and carefully cut into the four tier cake. They each took a piece and carefully fed it to each other. Much to Danny's disappointment, they did not smear it on each other's faces. Then they linked arms and took a drink of champagne.

After everyone had eaten cake, Lindsay and Flack decided that it was almost time to leave. Lindsay nodded to the DJ who understood her cue. "Will all of the single ladies please assemble on the dance floor? It's time for the bouquet toss!"

Cory and Stella grinned at each other as they took their place in the front part of the group. Lindsay grinned at the women as she walked in front of them. She turned her back to them and tossed the bouquet. It sailed right towards Cory and Stella.

Both women began jostling to catch the bouquet, but in the end, Cory won. She held up the bouquet in triumph as Danny groaned softly under his breath. Hawkes looked at him. "What's wrong?"

Danny laughed softly. "Nothing. But now if I don't catch the garter, Cory's going to rib me for it!"

Hawkes laughed good-naturedly as he joined the men on the floor for the garter toss. As Flack lifted Linday's dress to get the garter, she said quietly under her breath, "Make sure that Danny gets the garter."

Flack looked at her. "Why?"

Lindsay grinned. "It's a superstition. The woman who catches the bouquet and the man who catches the garter are supposed to get married. I'm trying to help in that area. I told Stella my plan and she agreed to play along!"

Flack laughed. "I'll just agree with you now." He had finished pulling the garter off her leg and stood up. He took notice of where Danny was standing and turned his back to toss it.

Danny caught it.

The DJ then called for another dance, this time with just Danny and Cory. Lindsay had made sure of the song that would be played for this dance and grinned happily when _Amazed _by Lonestar came on.

About an hour later, it was close to 11 pm, Flack and Lindsay decided to leave. Lindsay had gone up to a suite that her parents had in the hotel and changed into her traveling clothes. She was wearing a white pantsuit. When she came back down, she saw that everyone was waiting outside. She went and stood by Flack. "Are you ready to begin our life together?"

Flack looked at her. "It's already started and I don't ever want it to end." They kissed lightly as they made their way out the door and to their new life ahead.

_Fini!_ (For now :D)

**A/N:** _Okay... I hope y'all enjoyed and I promise with the next story I will got into a lot more detail with HawkesLydia and MacStella! If y'all get any ideas for the story, feel free to PM them to me! I can always use the extra inspiration!_

_screaming-poetically- Dude, is my muse up there with you? You always seem to know what is going to happen! But, yeah, I do miss tylerhiltongroupie53. I hope she is just on vacation! As per Tim...give me a good idea to reincorporate him back into the story and I will certainly think about it! _

_kasmith101- I hope you had a good vacation! Was a day too long to wait for the wedding:D_

_stargazr- Yeah, I was itching for them to announce it, too! I can't believe they mananged to keep it secret for that long! Don't be sad...I'll write more,soon!_

_the little corinthian- Glad to meet another person who LOVES chex mix (I'm addicted). I'm sorry you had to get up so early! That sucks! I hope you got enough sleep!_

_brainDamage089- Not very much Italian in this chapter...I hope this was a soon enough update! I had to wait on my beta since Real Life intruded in her life!_

_chili-peppers- Don't worry about it...I knew it was you:D Take a deep breath...I hope that you liked it!_


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